The Games We Play
by katelynmauntel
Summary: "I refuse to compete with another woman for your affections," Mary replied angrily, "I am the Queen of Scotland. I do not beg. I do not tolerate infidelity. Make your choice, but let it be known that if you choose her, the alliance between Scotland and France will be broken. I hope you make your decision wisely."
1. Chapter 1

**Hi Everyone! I have decided to write a multi-chapter fic for **_**Reign**_**. Contrary to what my profile says, I'm going to post chapters even though I haven't completed it yet. I hope you enjoy it :). – KM. **

**The Games We Play**

**Chapter 1**

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, watched the ball with sadness. It really was a beautifully decorated. The music was lively and the couples dancing were moving fluidly together. The ladies of the court were wearing their most expensive gowns and flirting with the available men, hoping to secure a husband. The men were starting to have a red tinge on their faces due to the amount of alcohol they had had that evening. When King Henry decided to throw a ball, it was certain that wine and ale would be flowing all night long. She smiled at the amount of merriment she saw. The room was filled with laughter, joy, and conversation. Normally, she would have been right in the thick of it, but tonight she didn't have the heart to.

"Now why are you standing in this corner all by yourself?" Bash asked as he snuck behind her.

Mary jumped a little, "Bash, you scared me! I'm just not feeling well this evening, that's all."

"So it has nothing to do with the fact that my brother has spent the entire night with Olivia?" he asked as he stood beside her.

Mary didn't respond. What could she say? Bash was right. Across the room, Francis started laughing once more in response to something Olivia said. Olivia looked beautiful tonight. She was wearing a gold dress that was cinched at the waist. Her long, wavy, dirty blonde hair fell beautifully down her back. She felt a wave of jealousy. Francis never acted this freely around her. Mary had to tease it out of him and it could be tiring. To see that he was naturally relaxed and comfortable around Olivia made her upset.

"Did Francis sleep with a lot of women before he met Olivia?" Mary asked suddenly turning to face him.

Bash looked torn, but finally he spoke, "No. He only started sleeping with other women after Olivia left."

"Oh," she replied feeling the weight of his words.

He put a hand on her shoulder when he saw the impact of his words, "I don't know what is going through Francis' mind, but he would stupid if he chose Olivia over you."

Mary smiled sadly at him, "Thank you for being honest with me. I'm not feeling well; I think I'm going to retire early."

Before Bash could say anything, Mary left the ballroom. As soon as she was out of sight, she started to run towards her room. She hoped that she could outrun her memories if she ran faster. Mary could remember the way that Olivia looked at Francis, the way she touched him. Olivia had come back to reclaim her 'territory'. When Mary got to her room, she collapsed on the bed.

Mary felt homesick. She had felt that way when she had first returned to France, but Francis had been able to keep that feeling at bay. They had grown so close since she had first arrived, but Olivia's return made it seem like they were strangers. Whenever Francis came to talk to her, Olivia made sure to interrupt them. It felt like weeks since she had talked to Francis alone and she missed him. Whenever she had a concern, Francis always made her feel better. Since Olivia's return, it was as if she had faded into the castle background.

Mary heard a knock on her door, but she decided to ignore it. She wasn't in the mood to have company. Once she had a good night's sleep, she knew that she would feel better. The person kept knocking and finally Mary got fed up.

"I don't need help getting ready for bed tonight!" Mary yelled through the door feeling slightly childish.

"Are you sure you don't want help?" Francis asked suddenly through the door.

Mary quickly ran to the door and opened it out of breath, "I don't think that's appropriate and I thought you were one of the girls."

"I figured. Can I come in?" he asked, smiling that cute smile that she couldn't resist.

Mary stepped aside and walked towards the set of chairs. Taking a seat, she tried to avoid looking at Francis. He shut the door and joined her. After a few minutes of unbearable silence, Francis spoke.

"Mary, look at me," he asked gently.

Reluctantly, she looked into his blue eyes, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be entertaining your guests?"

"I wanted to come apologize. I haven't been fair to you the past few weeks. I feel like I've barely seen you to be honest. I was going to ask you for a dance, but you had already left. Is everything alright?" he asked concerned, as he grabbed one of her hands.

Mary wanted so desperately to be honest with him. She wanted to say that she wasn't alright. He had spent the last few weeks ignoring her, because a woman he used to love returned to France. Her instincts told her that Olivia's intentions weren't pure. Regardless, Mary wanted to confide in him. She always had in the past and he always had the right things to say. This was one of the situations where she couldn't. Technically, they weren't doing anything wrong and Francis wouldn't like it if she told him to stop seeing Olivia. Mary didn't want him to start to resent her for placing boundaries on him.

"I was just feeling homesick. I haven't been here very long. I miss Scotland and I don't have many friends here," Mary admitted deciding to tell part of the truth.

He squeezed her hand, "I'm sorry I haven't been there for you. I haven't been in your position, but I can imagine how difficult it must be. What about your ladies in waiting?"

"They've been busy with their own lives," she replied looking away.

Francis suddenly got up and kneeled in front of Mary's chair.

"I am so sorry that I haven't realized how lonely you've been. I have just been overwhelmed lately. That's no excuse, but I will be more aware. Can you forgive me?" he asked.

"Of course," Mary replied smiling, she had to believe that he had been oblivious to Olivia's advances.

Suddenly, Francis kissed her. Mary automatically closed her eyes and pulled his head closer to hers. She had forgotten how wonderful he made her feel. Mary would willingly give up her duties if that meant that she could kiss Francis forever. Pulling away, Mary couldn't help but feel slightly ridiculous. Francis was here with her now. He was meant to be her husband, not Olivia's. Feeling childish, she kissed each cheek before kissing him again.

"Thank you for coming to check on me. It means the world to me," she said smiling up at him.

"I'm sorry I didn't check on you sooner," Francis replied as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's okay, I forgive you this time. Just don't forget about me so easily next time," Mary teased.

"You're impossible to forget. I should retire as well. I have a meeting early tomorrow morning," he said smiling, "Save me a dance next time?"

"Of course. We have the rest of our lives to dance together," she smiled as she walked him to the door, "Good night, Francis."

"Good night," Francis replied kissing her forehead before leaving.

When Francis was finally out of sight, Mary shut her door and leaned against it. It had finally happened. Mary was falling in love with Francis and there was nothing she could do to prevent it. She could only hope that he felt the same. Smiling, she got ready for bed. He didn't know it, but Francis had made her night.

**Let me know what you think! **


	2. Chapter 2

**I could rant about tonight's episode of **_**Reign**_**, but I will restrain myself. I have decided to change a few things historically and my story is definitely going a different way than the show is. I will continue talking about the changes at the end of the chapter so I don't spoil anything! I hope you enjoy this chapter :). – K.M.**

**Chapter 2**

"It's time to have your breakfast!" Greer announced excitedly.

Mary groaned when Kenna opened the curtains and let the sunlight fill the room. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she saw that her friends had brought breakfast up for the group.

"Why are you so sleepy?" Aylee asked Mary curiously.

"I had a late night. What are you doing here?" Mary asked surprised, because the girls hadn't gotten together for breakfast in a little while.

Lola sat beside Mary, "We realized how long it had been since we all got together and decided to fix that this morning. I'm sorry for being not being around as much as before."

"Don't apologize," Mary said sitting up, "I brought you to France with me. You left your lives behind to keep me company. Why would I hold you back from creating a life here?"

"That doesn't give us the right to forget about you," Greer replied looking guilty, "I've been spending so much time with Leith that I got distracted from everything else."

Mary smiled, "I understand. I'm happy you're all here now. Tell me everything that's happened since our last breakfast!"

The rest of the morning was filled with laughter and chatter. Greer told them about the serving boy that she liked. He was teaching her how to make bread. She was proud to tell them that she made the bread they were currently feasting on. Lola told them that she had become interested in someone, but wouldn't disclose his name. She wanted to keep it secret a little longer. Kenna and Aylee told them funny stories that had happened to some of the noblewomen during the ball yesterday. All in all, it was a perfect morning.

Once a week, the castle would allow certain merchants to sell their goods outside the castle. This gave everyone the opportunity to buy things as well as socialize. Unlike the party yesterday, Mary was not only happy, but also excited. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and her relationship with everyone was back on track. There was a lot to be grateful for. Smiling, she finally arrived at the makeshift market.

"There you are!" Francis said as soon as he caught sight of her.

"How was your meeting this morning?" Mary asked when she caught up to him.

He hooked his arm around hers and started to lead her through the market, "It was tedious as usual. Let's not talk about politics today. Is there anything here that has caught your eye?"

"Honestly? I don't want anything. I'm here with you," she admitted smiling, "There's nothing else that I would want."

Francis looked at her with such intensity that she thought she was going to burst into flames. She was happy that they were in public, because she wasn't sure if she could be held accountable for actions otherwise. How had he been able to so easily forget what they were like together? Mary caressed his cheek before pulling away. It was so easy to get caught up in Francis and it scared her. It scared her because Mary knew for a fact that she loved him. Did he return her feelings? That was something that she didn't know.

After they started walking, Mary asked him curiously, "Have I done something to make your mother hate me even more than she already does?"

"It's probably because of Kenna," Francis replied shrugging.

"Why would she be mad at me because of Kenna?" she asked as she furrowed her brow in confusion.

Francis looked at her guiltily, "I shouldn't have said anything. I didn't know that you weren't aware. Kenna has become another one of my father's mistresses. My mother hates to be reminded of her unhappy marriage to my father."

"No, you must be mistaken," Mary replied in disbelief.

"I'm sorry. I thought you knew. They haven't been very sneaky about it," he responded as he led her through another aisle that was selling different vegetables.

"How could she do something so foolish? No offense, I know that he's your father," she said frustrated.

"It's not her fault. My father's known for being too charming for his own good," Francis answered.

"Isn't it awkward talking about your father that way?" Mary asked, "It's just that your father has a reputation. Why would she think she's any different? What about marriage and children?"

"I'm not sure. This isn't really my expertise. Give me a sword or a bow and arrow and I'll know what to do. Tell me to decipher women's thoughts or actions and I'm lost," Francis admitted laughing.

Mary stopped him once more, "We've been through a lot you and I."

"Yes, we have. What brought this on?" Francis asked as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I just wanted to say thank you. I wouldn't have made it this far without you," she said as she rested her head on his chest.

Francis was about to say something, but was interrupted. Mary wanted to groan. She wanted to spend as much time as possible with Francis and wanted to stay as far away from Olivia as possible. It didn't seem like luck was on her side in that moment.

"Francis, there you are! I've been looking all over for you," Olivia said smiling innocently, "I was wondering if you could give me a tour of the market? It looks quite different now."

She could feel Francis hesitate. Mary was a bit disappointed that he didn't dismiss her right away. She had barely seen him these past few weeks because of Olivia's arrival. They were finally spending time together and Olivia had to come and ruin it. Couldn't he see that Olivia wanted to be more than friends with him? Francis looked at Mary with an apology in his blue eyes and she felt like screaming at him. She tried to tell him through her eyes that she wouldn't forgive him so easily this time for leaving her for Olivia. He slowly let go of her. Before joining Olivia, he gave her hand a quick squeeze.

Mary was furious. This was getting beyond ridiculous and it wasn't funny anymore. She deserved to be treated better than this. Francis might act oblivious, but she knew that he knew deep down what was going on. Deciding that she wasn't in the mood to stay in the market, Mary decided to write her cousin a letter.

Things were changing and they were changing fast. While her friends and Francis had been occupied, Mary hadn't been idle with her time. For the past few years, she had started corresponding with her cousin Elizabeth. Some people didn't consider Elizabeth to be the next in line for the throne, because she was illegitimate and a Protestant. If that was the case, they considered Mary next in line. To be honest, Mary didn't have an interest in ruling England. She loved ruling Scotland. It was her home and she could relate to her people and their needs. Mary was proud to belong to a long line of Scotland kings and queens.

Many perceived Scotland as weak and didn't take her country seriously. The only reason Scotland was weak right now was because of their conflict with England. France wasn't willing to give her their full support, so she had to take matters into her own hands. Recently, she told Elizabeth that she had no interest in fighting her for England. Elizabeth had been relieved and their relationship grew even closer.

Things had been tense between England and Scotland as evidenced by her last encounter with Simon. Part of her was still terrified of the threats he made, but she was also grateful. That was the first thing that brought Francis and her closer. Mary could still remember the different ways that Francis had come to her defense. It was surprising and that was the moment that she started to enjoy her stay in France.

Although she was grateful that the assassination threats brought her and Francis closer, she was relieved that she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Elizabeth had just become Queen of England. After many letters, Mary and Elizabeth had agreed to an alliance. It wasn't official yet, because they wanted to keep it a secret. She wanted to see if France would keep their promise and set a date for her marriage. Mary also felt like she was set free. Even if her alliance with France fell through, Mary didn't have anything to worry about. England was an extremely strong country and would be a great ally to have.

When Mary entered her bedchambers, she was excited to find that her cousin had sent her a letter. With the excitement of a child, she quickly opened the letter and scanned the contents. As soon as she finished the letter, a smile broke out on her face. Elizabeth had told her that she was going to come visit the French court in order to negotiate trading terms with France. She also wanted to finally meet Mary in person. Elizabeth agreed to keep their relationship a secret for now, because it could work to their advantage in the right situation. Now that she knew about Elizabeth's arrival, her concerns surrounding Olivia were pushed to the back of her mind. Things in France were about to get interesting.

**Alright, so as you've seen, Queen Elizabeth will be a character in my story. So historically, Mary and Elizabeth didn't get along for several reasons. Obviously, things are different here and Elizabeth has become a queen earlier than it's written in history. I'm really excited about this plot development. You also might be a bit disappointed in Mary's behavior regarding Olivia. She isn't showing the usual fire that she has. Don't worry; things will start to change in the next chapter. **

**Let me know what you think! If you want to rant about tonight's episode, feel free! I could go on a few rants myself. Thank you for your support and your reviews :) – K.M. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for your kind words last chapter. In order to celebrate receiving twenty reviews, I've decided to post this chapter early. This is the chapter where things get a little bit crazy. Happy reading! – K.M. **

**Chapter 3**

The castle was in complete disarray in the preparation for Queen Elizabeth's arrival. Servants were seen running around the castle cleaning, cooking, or running errands. New gowns were being purchased left and right by the highborn ladies. The stress was palpable between the King and Queen. It seemed that they didn't agree on certain trading terms. The girls had spent many days speculating on what the Queen of England was like and what type of ruler she was. Mary kept her silence and always redirected the question when someone asked her. Mary felt like a little kid who was waiting for her birthday. She hadn't received word from Elizabeth since she informed her of her arrival.

Things between her and Francis were strained. Francis had come to see her a few times after that incident in the market, but Mary refused to let her guard down around him. There were rumors spreading about Francis and Olivia and she couldn't trust him. It was heartbreaking, because it felt like Francis was throwing her love away. During their last encounter, their interaction was so tense and cold that Francis had started to avoid her. It was typical of Francis to avoid the issue so that he wouldn't have to deal with a confrontation. Mary tried to keep herself busy so she wouldn't notice his absence.

Shaking her head from those thoughts, Mary turned towards her reflection. Elizabeth would arrive soon, so she needed to get ready. Mary wore her long, dark brown hair down and it fell in loose curls. She added a bit of charcoal around her chocolate brown eyes and something to make her lips red. She wore a red dress that was covered in lace that emphasized her womanly shape. She was a bit nervous. What if she didn't get along with Elizabeth in person?

Deciding that she was ready to go meet her cousin, she descended to the main entrance of the castle. The King and Queen were already there with Francis. As soon as King Henry caught sight of her, he seemed relieved. Mary was amused. With England's new Queen, he wanted to show off his strong alliance with Scotland. She would have laughed if the whole situation wasn't so serious. They all walked outside and Mary took her designated spot beside Francis. Pasting a fake smile on her face, she allowed Francis to link arms with her. Thankfully, Olivia was nowhere in sight. Bash stood beside her on the other side and Mary gave him a real smile. Throughout this whole situation, Bash had been her most consistent friend. She was thankful he was with her today.

An escorted carriage finally made its way to the castle. Mary felt the anticipation around her build and she was anxious to get a glimpse of her cousin. Finally, the carriage stopped. The door was open and Queen Elizabeth was helped out of her carriage. The beauty her cousin held took Mary aback. Elizabeth's long red hair was pulled back into an elegant updo. She walked with a confident and graceful stride until she was an appropriate distance away from the King of France.

"Queen Elizabeth of England, you are most welcome here," King Henry announced.

Elizabeth smiled at him, "Thank you, your Grace. You have a beautiful castle."

"Thank you. You have had a long journey. One of the servants will grab your things and show you to your bedchambers. I hope that they are to your liking," he informed her and then turned to his subjects, "Tomorrow, we will hold a feast to welcome Queen Elizabeth to France."

"I am sure they will be and thank you for your kindness," she replied as he dismissed everyone and followed the servants to her bedchambers.

Mary had been trying to catch her eye during the exchange, but Elizabeth hadn't glanced her way once. She felt a tightness in her chest and became worried. What if Elizabeth changed her mind? She was brought out from her thoughts, when Francis started turning around and walked with her into the castle.

"I'll make sure that you're well protected while the Queen of England stays with us," Francis whispered in her ear.

It felt exactly like a déjà vu. Francis wanted to come to her rescue and protect her from harm. It was one of the qualities that she loved the most about him. He always wanted to help those in need. The way he was looking at her with such concern made her heart break. Mary remembered the way he had come to her rescue during her conversation with Simon. She also remembered the way he had pushed her against the wall and whispered in her ear to make them appear as a couple. That was the beginning of when things starting changing between her and Francis. He had become a friend to her and her feelings for him grew from that moment on. She spotted Olivia from the corner of her eye and her demeanor changed. It was so easy to forget about their issues, but she couldn't.

Mary looked at him coldly, "I'm not concerned."

"Has something happened between you and England?" he asked confused at the change he saw in her.

"It's none of your concern. It is between England and Scotland," she replied as she unlinked their arms, "Thank you for your company, but I must return to my chambers to get ready for dinner."

Mary almost turned back towards him, when she saw the look of hurt that crossed his face. It felt so natural to be with him and to comfort him after everything they had gone through. Then she remembered the way he interacted with Olivia and the rumors that had spread throughout the castle. She looked at him once more before walking back to her chambers.

Queen Elizabeth and King Henry spent the next few days in very intense meetings. Mary hadn't even seen a glimpse of them that's how busy they were. Finally after the fourth day, Mary had been summoned to have a private audience with Queen Elizabeth. Mary quickly got dressed and went to meet her cousin. She hadn't told anyone about this meeting, so it was unlikely that anyone would intercept her.

When she entered Elizabeth's chambers, she was again taken aback by her cousin's beauty. Her hair wasn't in its usual updo, which drew attention to her blue eyes. She had a pale face, but her cheeks were rosy. She held herself confidently and looked every bit like the Queen that she was. Mary almost envied that, because she felt like a child next to her cousin.

"Mary, it's good to finally meet you," Elizabeth smiled widely and gave Mary a hug, "Sit, we have plenty to talk about!"

"Thanks," Mary answered surprised, yet happy at the reception she got, "It's nice to talk to you in person. How has your stay in France been so far?"

"It's been busy, but nothing I can't handle," she answered as she got them a glass of wine and offered Mary a seat, "So how are things between France and Scotland at the moment?"

Mary sighed as she sat down, "Nothing has changed since my last letter. King Henry is reluctant to marry me to Francis. I think he's holding out for a better ally. My relationship with Francis was going well. He told me that he would support me against foes seen and unseen, but lately things have changed. I've told you about that noblewoman Olivia. He has been showering her with attention and has allowed himself to be manipulated by her."

"I figured as much. King Henry offered to wed me to Francis, but I declined for obvious reasons. There is too much history between our two countries that I felt that having an alliance through marriage wasn't in England's best interests. I also don't appreciate allies who would go back on their word with another person. Anyways, enough about politics. Would you like to talk about Francis and Olivia? I have felt like you've needed a friend through the letters you have sent me," Elizabeth asked kindly.

"I wouldn't want to bore you with personal matters," she replied embarrassed.

"Don't be embarrassed," Elizabeth smiled as she took a sip of her red wine, "We're cousins, but through our correspondence I feel like we have become close friends. Maybe having an outsider's perspective will help you."

"Okay. It's a strange situation. One day, a noblewoman ran to the castle with torn clothes and scratches everywhere after being attacked. I found out a little bit later that her name was Olivia and she had spent some years here at court. While she was here, her and Francis had been an item. She claims to have returned because her association with Francis has ruined her name. Ever since her arrival, Francis has been almost enamored with her and hasn't really acknowledged me. Now there is so much tension between Francis and I that I don't know what to do," Mary explained, feeling hurt and upset all over again.

"What have you done about the situation so far?" she inquired curiously.

"I haven't done anything in fear that I would push Francis even further away," Mary admitted.

Elizabeth put a hand on Mary's hand, "That is where you are wrong."

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

"This is just like the political games that politicians like to play. By doing nothing, you're losing and Olivia is winning. There are only two things she could want: to become Francis' mistress or to break off your engagement so that she can marry him. In the end, she wants more power. You are the Queen of Scotland. Who is she? She's a nobody," Elizabeth replied.

"I still don't see what I should do," Mary said frustrated.

"You can't stand by and do nothing. By doing that, you are showing weakness. If you want Francis and his respect, you can't let him walk all over you like this. Show him that you are a strong woman, Mary. We come from a line of strong men and women, so stand tall and proud," she explained, "Sadly, love isn't always in the cards for us monarchs. Your first duty has to be to your country. If Francis and France won't have you, don't beg for them. Show them that you are a woman that has many options. Francis is publicly shaming you by spending all his time with Olivia. You aren't married yet, what will happen when you are? Tell him that you won't share him with anyone else. If he says that it's his call, then tell him that you won't marry him. You are England's ally. If France gives you a difficult time, we will face him as a united front."

"You would do that for me?" Mary asked surprised, because England and Scotland had a heated past.

Elizabeth smiled, "We're family. We look out for each other. Plus Scotland has plenty to offer England and vice versa. I think it's time to let go of the feud between us, don't you think?"

"I agree," Mary answered happy and had another sip of wine, "This has been the best news that I've heard in a long time."

"I'm glad. Now sort things out with France. If they continue to treat you and your country poorly, then we will announce our alliance and we'll leave. They wouldn't dare attack you while we're together," Elizabeth told her.

"You've given me a lot to think about. Do you really think I should confront Francis?" Mary asked her even though she knew the answer.

"Yes, I do. That way you know where you stand and what the next course of action is. Staying in France waiting for their answer is not beneficial to your country," she said, "I'm glad that things have resolved between us."

"As am I, cousin," Mary answered getting up, "I should find Francis. The sooner this is solved, the better."

"I agree and I wish you the best of luck," Elizabeth said as she walked Mary to the door.

Mary smiled at Elizabeth one last time before leaving her bedchambers. She really had a lot to think about, but Elizabeth was right. She had let things go too far with Olivia. Mary was not only the Queen of Scotland, but she knew that she was an incredible person as well. Anyone would be lucky to have her! She had been so caught up in Francis that Mary forgot vital parts to herself. That wouldn't happen any longer. If Francis and King Henry didn't show her respect, then she would leave. As soon as Mary neared Francis' room, she heard laughter. She detected a female in there and felt her anger rise. Mary knocked on the door and Francis paled as soon as he opened it.

"Mary!" Francis exclaimed surprised, "It's not really a good time right now."

"This isn't a social call," Mary said angrily, "Tell Olivia to leave. I need to talk to you."

"Later," he replied closing the door a little bit.

Mary pushed against the door and entered his chambers furiously, "No. We are talking now. Tell her to leave."

Olivia looked like she was going to protest, but Francis signaled for her to leave. Olivia stomped out of the room like a petulant child. What was so fascinating about this woman? Mary would never know. She turned and faced the man that held her heart. It was the first time in awhile that she observed him. His dirty blonde hair was longer than it had been when she first arrived. He had begun to grow a beard and she had to admit that it made him look older. He towered over her and his blue eyes held anger in them. It was all or nothing now.

"Now that I've rudely kicked out my guest, what brings you here?" Francis asked annoyed.

"Your behavior with Olivia brings me here," Mary said and when Francis looked like he was about to interrupt, she slapped him hard, "No. You have done enough. It is my turn to speak and I refuse to be interrupted. I am sick and tired of your behavior. You have embarrassed and shamed me enough with your escapades with Olivia. How do you think it looks that the man I am supposed to marry is off gallivanting with another woman? Don't deny it. You have ignored me since she's arrived!"

"So what? This is my court. I can do whatever I want. You have no power here. You are a guest just like Olivia is," Francis furiously answered.

"Is that really what you believe? I could easily leave France if I wanted to and break off our engagement," Mary retorted as she took a step towards him.

"You wouldn't dare do that," he snapped as he took a step towards her.

"Yes I would, I refuse to compete with another woman for your affections," Mary replied angrily as soon as they stood so close to each other, that she could easily kiss him, "I am the Queen of Scotland. I do not beg. I do not tolerate infidelity. Make your choice, but let it be known that if you choose her, the alliance between Scotland and France will be broken. I hope you make your decision wisely."

"What happens if I choose her? If you terminate our alliance, England will slaughter your people. You really can't do anything about it," Francis said furiously, "Have you really forgotten who you're talking to?"

At his words, Mary lost her anger, "What are you doing Francis? I thought we were getting along. I loved you and it goes to show how stupid I was! The sad part is that I no longer recognize you. You're not the man I fell in love with. You're an imitation of your father and that is so sad to see. I just don't understand this. We have been through so much. You're my best friend and have been since we were children. Are you actually willing to throw everything we have away for this girl?"

When Francis didn't respond, she sighed, "I see that you have made your choice. Now I know why we're not supposed to love. It hurts like hell when your heart gets broken. Are you really so sure of yourself that you think that I won't leave and I'll have no choice but to marry you? Well that's where you're wrong. My cousin, Queen Elizabeth, and I have formed an alliance. She has told me that I have her support if things don't work out between France and Scotland. I hope you enjoy your life with Olivia, because this will be the last time you see me alone."

"Wait," Francis exclaimed when she reached his door.

"No, Francis. You've told me everything I need to know. I will inform King Henry tomorrow that our engagement is over. I will leave tomorrow evening. I was such a fool to think that we were lucky and meant to be together. I hope that you're happy now," Mary said before she walked out.

When Mary walked out of his chambers, she saw that Olivia was waiting outside. She was surprised, because she honestly thought that Francis would choose her over Olivia. She had been such a fool. Mary wouldn't let her emotions cloud her judgment again.

"You can go back in, he's all yours," Mary announced as she walked past her.

In that moment, something changed in Mary. For the first time, she truly realized the weight of her duties as the Queen of Scotland. She had always fancied herself as just a normal girl, but that was a lie. No matter how often she pretended, it couldn't take away the truth. She was the Queen of Scotland and she had to start behaving like one, instead of like a child. When she arrived in her room, Mary wrote a letter to her cousin revealing the details of her meeting with Francis. It was too late to see her now, so they would have to discuss a plan tomorrow. She heard a knock on her door and her mind flashed back to when Francis came to visit her after the ball. Groaning, Mary opened the door, but to her surprise, Bash was standing on the other side.

"I heard what happened between you and my brother and I thought you might need a friend," he told her.

"Come on in," Mary said as she walked towards one of her chairs, "Would you like a drink?"

"I'm okay. So what happened? I couldn't quite make sense of what Francis was telling me," Bash asked curiously.

Mary cradled her head in her hands, "Everything's a mess. I have a duty to my country. I can't wait here any longer waiting for a marriage. I also refuse to marry someone who's shown me such disrespect. I ignored Francis' situation with Olivia long enough and I just can't do it anymore. I deserve better than that. I'm a wonderful woman that any man would be lucky to have and I refuse to end up like Queen Catherine."

"I completely agree. I was wondering how long you were going to ignore the situation. What brought about this change?" he asked as he leaned back in the chair.

"My cousin, Queen Elizabeth, has reminded me of my worth. We have been close for years and now that she's the Queen of England, my situation has changed. Scotland is no longer at war with England. We have become allies. I've been thinking too much as a girl and not enough as a ruler. It's time for me to leave and consider my other offers of marriage," she explained sadly.

"I know that bastard sons of kings are often jealous of their legitimate brothers, but I have never been. You have so much weight to bear by leading a country. I couldn't do it. I think that you're making the right choice, but don't tell my brother or father. They would kill me if they found out. When are you leaving?" he inquired.

"Tomorrow evening with or without your father's permission," Mary admitted a little bit scared.

"So soon? Are your ladies-in-waiting leaving as well?" Bash asked her.

"Probably," Mary replied, "Why do you ask? No way. Which one of my friends have you fallen in love with?"

"Lola," Bash admitted blushing, "She nursed me back to health when I was on the brink of death. I have been spending time with her a lot recently."

"Well she's a lucky girl for finding someone like you and you're a lucky man for finding such a wonderful woman to fall in love with. As much as I want to help you, if things don't go well with your father tomorrow, I don't think she would be able to stay. You are always welcome in Scotland, however," she smiled cheekily, "Thank you for cheering me up. You really are one of my best friends."

"Anytime and thank you for the offer. I will see how things go tomorrow. My brother is an idiot if he's letting you go so easily," he commented, "I should retire. Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

"One day I will be, but thanks for checking up on me," Mary said as she opened the door.

"Good night Mary," Bash smiled and before she knew it, he was out of sight.

Mary changed into her nightclothes and slipped into her warm, comfortable bed. She knew that tomorrow was going to be a difficult day, so she was grateful for the peace and quiet of her chambers. For the first time that day, Mary finally cried. She cried for the love that she had lost, losing Francis to another woman, and for the months that Francis had ignored her. Tonight, she was just Mary. Tomorrow, she would be Mary, the Queen of Scotland, and she wouldn't show any weakness. With that last thought, she fell into an uneasy sleep.

**So things have finally progressed with the characters and Mary finally stops avoiding the Olivia issue with Francis. The next chapter will hold some extremely emotional scenes. Let me know what you think by leaving a review :). – K.M. **


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm really impressed with the response I got from chapter 3. Your reviews seriously make my day. Happy reading! – K.M.**

**Chapter 4**

Mary woke up early the next morning and arranged a meeting with Elizabeth. Now that she knew where she stood with France, Mary wanted to make their alliance official. Elizabeth was in agreement and they spent the entirety of the early morning discussing treaty terms. Finally, they had reached an agreement and it was written as follows:

"_I, Elizabeth Tudor, Queen of England, and I, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, have come to a mutual decision to end the war between England and Scotland permanently and enter into an alliance. The official border runs one hundred and fifty four kilometers between the River Tweed on the East Coast and the Solway Firth on the West Coast. We will resolve future disputes by sending ambassadors to represent the respective queens in England and Scotland. If meeting with the ambassadors does not resolve the dispute, the Queen of England and the Queen of Scotland will meet at the border to discuss the issues they are facing. Scotland will trade textiles, iron, coal, and trees in exchange for salt, ore, petroleum, spices, and fur with England and its colonies. The existing debts will be settled through trade. Fourteen companies from Queen Elizabeth's subjects will be sent to Scotland. Scotland will provide England with 50 ships for their naval army. England and Scotland will retain their separate religions. The new law will be passed that will enable the citizens of England and Scotland to choose which religion they wish to belong to. There will be no penalty for belonging to a particular religion if it does not harm the individual and the individuals around him. The consequences of harming oneself or others will be up to the discretion of the respective ruler. The alliance entails mutual defense in response to an attack by an outside party, trading goods, and promoting economic growth in order to contribute to the development of England and Scotland._

_Signed by: Elizabeth Tudor and Mary Stuart"_

It had been a long morning, but Mary was happy with everything they had accomplished. Scotland was officially free of war and had a strong ally to back them in political disputes. She was also relieved that they settled the religion argument. Elizabeth was a Protestant and Mary was a Catholic. That had caused issues in the past, but they had agreed to keep an open mind towards religion as long as it didn't harm others. She had arranged a meeting with King Henry in a of couple hours. To say she was nervous was an understatement. Deciding that she should spend that time preparing for her meeting, Mary returned to her bedchambers.

When she arrived, she was surprised to see Francis waiting for her. He looked terrible. His blonde hair was greasy; his eyes were bloodshot with bags underneath them, and his clothes were rumpled. Francis was sitting in a chair and quickly stood up when she entered the room. Mary chose to ignore him and started tidying up the desk in her chambers. She deposited a copy of the treaty in one of the drawers and pulled out paper for her to write notes on.

Ideally, she would get out of her engagement with Francis and stay on good terms with France. If she worded her argument properly, Mary hoped that the outcome of the meeting would be in her favor. Francis coughed behind her and rolling her eyes; she turned around. When she looked at him, she was no longer just Mary. She faced him as Mary, the Queen of Scotland.

"Yes, Francis?" Mary asked coldly.

Francis looked at her sadly when he noticed the change in her, "I would like to talk to you if you have a moment."

"I told you everything that I needed to say yesterday. Our engagement is broken as far as I am concerned; therefore, it is inappropriate for us to be in the same room alone together," she answered in a cool tone.

"Please? I need to get some things off of my chest," he asked sounding so desperate that Mary indicated for him to sit down.

Sitting down, Mary looked up at him, "What would you like to talk about?"

"I am so sorry, Mary," Francis started, "I don't know what's come over me. I know that we have had our differences recently, but I implore you not to end the engagement so quickly. Couples fight and they fix things. Give me a chance to fix us."

"Is Olivia still in the castle?" she asked indifferently; Mary couldn't afford to show him how she felt after he had hurt her repeatedly.

"Yes," he replied confused, "I don't see what this has to do with anything."

Mary suddenly stood up in anger and started pacing, "Are you really this stupid, Francis? You have made these past two months absolutely hell for me. I haven't seen my mother since I was a little girl. I can't even begin to tell you how many people have died for me in an assassination attempt. I currently rule a country. You have no idea what that's like. You have stayed in this castle your entire life. You have a good relationship with your parents. You have never had to witness someone die for you. You aren't the King of France yet, so you can only speculate on what ruling a country would be like. You haven't had to make the sacrifices that I have to ensure a country's success.

"I asked you if Olivia was in the castle to see how committed you are to fixing this situation. You say that you're sorry, that you care about me, and that you want to fix this, but look at your actions! You have ignored me for months! You spend all your spare time with Olivia. Even though you're trying to fix things between us, you haven't sent Olivia away.

"I don't think you've realized how serious I am about this, Francis. You were right when you said that we don't have the luxury of love. Look at what love has gotten me into! You showed me what happens when you fall in love with your future husband and co-ruler. I have a written treaty between England and Scotland. As a ruler, I don't need to marry you anymore. I can consider other marriage offers. As a girl, you've lost my trust. You tell me one thing, but your actions show me something else. We can't fix this."

"You can't blame this entirely on me," Francis said standing up as well, "I have made some mistakes, but I am not the only one."

"What are you talking about? What could I have possibly done to have you run to Olivia?" she asked outraged.

"The rumors surrounding you and Bash," he replied.

Mary started laughing, "So you sought comfort from Olivia, because you thought that I was fooling around with your brother behind your back. Instead of confronting me with those false rumors, you chose to retaliate. There is nothing going on between me and Bash."

"Then why have you been talking so much recently?" Francis asked determined to get to the bottom of this rumor.

"My friends have been building their own lives here and have been busy. You were ignoring me. If it weren't for Elizabeth and Bash, I would not know what state I would be in. He is-was going to be my future brother-in-law. He was going to be my family. Bash has been nothing but a great friend to me. It is not my secret to tell, but he's in love with a woman who isn't me," she answered irritated.

"I didn't know," Francis replied, "Mary, look at me. I would do anything to fix this."

Mary looked at him sadly, "I wish that you could find a way to fix this, but I don't think you can. You've hurt me too much, and I can't trust you anymore."

When his eyes connected to hers, she realized that he was crying. This brought tears to her own eyes, and soon they were both crying. It wasn't loud and obnoxious, but silent tears that fell. In the past, they would have comforted each other. Now, they stood awkwardly apart.

"There has to be some way to fix this. I'm sorry I've been such an idiot. I promise this won't happen again. I'll send Olivia away, and I'll force my father to marry us," he pleaded.

Mary finally walked up to him and hugged him, "I'm sorry, Francis, but it's too late. You made your decision, and I've made mine. I can't trust your word. I can't trust that this won't happen again. I'm not the same girl that I was before. I need to prepare to meet with King Henry."

Mary let Francis hug her for a couple more minutes, before she stepped back. It was strange how their roles switched. Francis was the one fighting for them, and she didn't care anymore. Mary had cried so much over the past two months that it was as if her well of tears had run dry. His words from the night before cut too deeply and now the wall around her heart was even stronger than before. Even if she wanted to believe him, her heart wouldn't let her. She would always doubt and suspect that he was being unfaithful. Wiping her tears, she sat at her desk and prepared for her meeting with King Henry.

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After an hour, someone knocked on Mary's door. After letting the person in, she was surprised to see Kenna enter her bedchambers. Mary hadn't seen Kenna since she found out about her involvement with the King. Mary was surprised that she wanted to speak with her.

"Mary, I've just heard the most terrible rumor," Kenna exclaimed, "Is it true that you plan on breaking your engagement with Francis?"

"Yes, it is true," Mary answered wondering where she had received that information.

"Why would you do such a thing? I know that you and Francis aren't in the best place right now, but it's just a phase. You two will make up in no time. You shouldn't be so hasty in your decision," she said trying to persuade her.

"Have you found a man at court? Is that why you want me to stay?" Mary asked curiously.

Kenna looked almost offended, "No, I haven't met anyone yet. I want you to stay because I think you're making a huge mistake."

After her emotional fight with Francis, Mary felt her anger flare up once more, "So this has nothing to do with the fact that you're sleeping with King Henry?"

"How did you find out about that?" she replied, her face pale.

"What do you mean, how did I find out? Everyone knew about your escapades except for me. Even Francis and Bash knew before I did!" Mary exclaimed.

"I'm sorry for not telling you," Kenna answered, not able to meet Mary's eyes.

Mary started pacing once more, "Not only have you lied to me, but you have also tried to manipulate me into staying for your own personal gain. You have shown me so much disrespect that I don't think I can forgive you. You could have jeopardized Scotland's alliance with France with your foolish actions! I command you to stop this affair right now."

"You can't command me anymore. Henry is taking me on as a mistress. I answer only to him now," Kenna said sharply.

"What do you expect to gain from this? Power?" she asked laughing, "Do you really think he's going to end his relationship with Diane, who he's been with for decades, for you? Or do you expect him to divorce Queen Catherine so that you can become a queen in your own right? You're ridiculous. Diane's gone, so King Henry's bored. What happens when she returns? What happens when he tires of you? Your reputation will be in shambles and you'll be lucky if you still have your head. Do not come crying to me when King Henry turns his back on you. I'm washing my hands of you right now. I never thought you would be so power hungry that you would lie, manipulate, and threaten the safety of your friends' homeland. You are dismissed."

Kenna stared at her with wide eyes. None of her friends had seen the extent of Mary's temper or her act like a queen. Mary had always been at their side taking care and supporting them. Kenna looked like she was torn on what to do, but Mary saw that her infatuation with King Henry won out in the end. Hearing the door shut, Mary grabbed her glass and threw it against the wall. She had never had to deal with a friend's betrayal before. Mary collapsed on her bed and tried to calm down.

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"What do you mean you want to break your engagement with my son?" King Henry asked angrily during their meeting.

"I want to break my engagement from your son. I have waited over ten years to get married to Francis and my patience has run out. I will be returning to Scotland tonight. I am prepared to come to an agreement on a method of payment to reimburse you for this inconvenience," Mary explained, keeping her cool.

"What are your reasons for breaking this engagement?" he asked firmly, "I want to hear them before anything has been agreed."

"Not only have I waited for over ten years to be married, but you did not send support to my country when help was needed. I have also been publicly embarrassed and shamed by Francis' behavior as of late. I have also signed a treaty with Queen Elizabeth. Scotland and England are allies," Mary explained.

"Why is this the first that I'm hearing of this alliance?" King Henry demanded, "As this is our court, my son can act in whichever way that pleases him. I will not break this engagement."

"You will accept Mary's payment and you will break this engagement or you will have angered two countries," Queen Elizabeth announced as she entered the room, "Queen Mary will be leaving with me tonight. Will we be leaving on good or bad terms?"

Mary had never seen King Henry look so angry, yet so helpless. Queen Catherine looked pleased at the prospect of Mary finally leaving. The King's subjects chattered excitedly at the drama before them. Now that she had Elizabeth's public support, she knew that King Henry had no choice but to break the engagement. Mary suspected that King Henry was regretting his decision regarding her and Francis' long engagement. Looking around her, she was surprised to see that Olivia looked a little too pleased by this turn of events. It made sense that Olivia would be happy that her and Francis were no longer engaged, but there was something else in her eyes that didn't add up with that rationale. Francis was nowhere in sight, which surprised her.

"Very well," King Henry exclaimed upset, because he knew that he was powerless, "Let's go to another room so that we can discuss the details of this payment."

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Servants had offered to help Mary pack her things, but she refused. She had gotten so used to doing things on her own at the convent, that she often forget she had the luxury of a servant. She also wanted to keep busy. So much had happened today and she felt emotionally drained. After her discussion with King Henry, Elizabeth had invited her to stay with her at her castle in England. Mary's mother was a complete stranger and she had a feeling that most of her friends would be staying at French court. Elizabeth had been such a wonderful and supportive friend that she had accepted immediately. Right now, she needed a friend more than ever. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Mary, I was wondering if I could talk to you," Lola asked nervously.

Mary turned towards her and smiled, "That's perfect, because I needed to talk to you as well. As much as I have enjoyed your services, I'm afraid that I won't need you anymore. I have arranged for you to stay at French court. Francis has all the details."

"I- I don't understand. How did you know that I wanted to stay?" she asked confused.

"You forget that Bash is one of my closest friends," Mary answered smiling, "He might have told me what was going between you. He's a great man and you'll make him very happy."

"Thank you so much Mary!" Lola exclaimed as she ran to hug her, "If I wasn't serious about him, I would definitely come with you."

"I know that," she smiled at her friend's excitement, "You have a life here now and I wouldn't dare take it away a second time. I better be invited to your wedding!"

"Of course you will be," Lola answered, "Do you need help packing?"

"Sure, now tell me the details! You must be dying to tell someone," Mary laughed.

And with that, the girls started talking and laughing as they packed. It was going to be the last time that they saw each other for awhile, so they were taking advantage of their moment alone. The rest of the day flew by quickly and finally, it was time for her and Elizabeth to leave. A group was waiting by the carriage to say their goodbyes. She noticed that Kenna wasn't there, but Mary didn't mind and she wasn't surprised. She was still angry from their fight. Mary gave Aylee, Lola, and Greer a group hug.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here. Enjoy yourselves, but don't get into too much trouble!" Mary told them laughing.

"Go find a hot husband in England," Aylee told her smiling.

"We're going to miss you," Greer replied, "Are you sure you have to leave?"

Mary smiled sadly at them, "I'm afraid that I do. I'll miss you guys as well. We'll keep in contact and you'll have to visit me sometime!"

After a few more words, Mary turned to Bash, "I'm going to miss you, friend."

Bash walked up to her and gave her a brotherly hug, "I'm going to miss you too. Don't get into too much trouble! I won't be able to help get you out of it."

"I'll try not to. Treat Lola well, okay? No games," she told him seriously.

"I promise. No games," he said smiling before joining Lola.

The only person left to say goodbye to was Francis. Mary was surprised that he had showed up. He still looked like a mess, but he wasn't as bad as he was earlier in the day. She was tempted to just enter the carriage, but she knew that she couldn't be that rude. The rest of the group seemed to have disappeared, leaving the two of them alone.

"Thank you for you and your family's hospitality," Mary told him.

"Don't do this, Mary. I get it. You're leaving. I know that you don't think very highly of me right now, but I deserve a proper goodbye," he said sadly.

Mary sighed and went to hug him, "I'm sorry about how everything turned out between us. I wish you the best of luck. I hope that Olivia makes you happy."

"I sent her away," he whispered in her ear, "I should have done that a long time ago. I hope that your stay in England is everything you hope for."

Mary pulled back and smiled, "Thank you. That means a lot to me; I hope that England treats me well."

"Don't say goodbye," Francis interrupted her, "I have a feeling that we will be seeing each other in the near future."

"Whatever you say. I guess that I'll see you later," she said as she finally entered the carriage and joined her cousin.

When the carriage left, Mary stared at the castle until it was out of sight. If she had been told a year ago the events of the past few months, Mary would have called that person crazy. It was strange to see how much had changed in the past few months. As sad as she was, she knew that she was making the right choice.

"Why didn't you inform Francis of Olivia's true purpose here," Elizabeth asked her suddenly.

"He's been hurt a lot in the past few days and we just found out an hour before. I don't want him to feel even guiltier," Mary answered, "How were we supposed to know that Olivia came here as an Italian plot?"

"I was lucky to catch wind of that before our departure. Doesn't this change things between you and Francis?" she asked, looking at Mary with her sharp eyes.

"No, it doesn't. He still chose Olivia over me. Italy was concerned about a possible alliance between England, Scotland, and France. If Francis and I were so easy to break, then we shouldn't be together. A strong relationship is necessary for a King and Queen if they are to rule a country together," Mary explained even though her heart was still breaking at the thought of her broken engagement, "Tell me more about England."

The rest of the ride was spent laughing and sharing stories with each other. Even though everything had changed, it felt nice that she had family supporting her.

**Don't worry; the story is really just starting to begin now. Spoiler alert: The next chapter starts six months after Mary has left France. So what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Now that Francis realizes the mistake he's made, how is he going to win Mary back? What are your thoughts behind that?**

**I have a hectic week full of assignments, so the next update might be in about a week. Anyways, leave me a review :). – K.M. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Can I just tell you that I love you guys? You have been such a source of inspiration that even though I had a million things to do for school; I managed to write this chapter out. It was as if these words were just demanding to be put onto paper (well on the screen of my computer). I wouldn't have been able to make it this far into the story without you guys, so thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope you enjoy the beginning of the second part of this story. I'm very excited about it! Happy reading :). **

**Part 2**

**Chapter 5**

It had been six months since Mary had left France. Some days it felt as if she had left yesterday. She still kept in contact with Lola, Aylee, Greer, and Bash. They seemed so happy at French court that part of her was jealous. Mary wished she could return, but she had left for a reason. There was no way that she could see Francis.

At first, being away from Francis was almost pure agony. Although he had ignored her for a couple of months, his presence around the castle had never left. Now she was without any reminder of him. Francis had become someone that she had started to rely on. Whenever she was scared, sad, or happy, Mary would always turn to Francis. Those thoughts were the most painful ones. She still couldn't comprehend where everything had gone so wrong. At first she would think about him several times a day. Mary wondered what he was doing, how France was doing, and if he was seeing anyone. That last thought hurt the most.

The dreams were almost unbearable. In her dreams, her memories of Francis came alive. She remembered every glance, touch, and kiss. It was as if he was permanently seared into her brain. How many times had he come to her defense during her stay in France? Although these dreams always started off on a good note, they always had a sad ending. It was pure torture. Her mind would remind her of all the good memories and then reaffirm that things between them completely disintegrated. It wasn't rare to wake up with tears running down her face.

To her surprise, one day, everything got easier. It was as if she had been healed overnight. She still thought about him occasionally, but it wasn't as consuming as it had been before. Mary wasn't ready to face him yet. She had a feeling that she might never be, but she was finally okay. Mary had healed and had started to give her attention to other things, such as ruling and the implications of the new alliance on her country.

It was a strange thing to introduce the tolerance of religions. It wasn't a common practice and their people weren't happy about it. There had been a few riots in Scotland that Mary had to deal with. The Protestants and Catholics were mostly behind them. Neither one could begin to comprehend the fact that they were now on equal footing as they both believed that they were superior to the other. After a lot of time, money, and men, Mary had been able to calm the tempers of both religions. They were still not happy with her and likely plotting her downfall, but otherwise Scotland was in peace.

England had also experienced several riots, but Elizabeth had been able to put a stop to them as soon as they had started. Mary was grateful for her time in England, because it was a great learning opportunity. She had seen the way that King Henry and Queen Catherine ruled, as well as her mother when she was regent, so it was fascinating to see how Elizabeth ruled. Mary often thought that Elizabeth had wisdom beyond her years. Not only that, but she had very modern ideas, which was rare to see in a ruler. Rulers tended to be traditionalists.

"_What do you mean you don't want to get married?" Mary asked incredulously, "I think you might be the only woman in the entire world to wish that." _

_Elizabeth simply laughed, "I know. It is strange. I just don't see the point. England is an extremely powerful country on its own. Although it would be nice to strengthen it through a marriage alliance, there are other ways. Men seem to think that they can control the woman in the relationship. Also, what are the major motivations to wanting to marry me? They would want to take control of England, its riches, and allies. I just don't see the point. It's manipulation."_

"_I do see your point. It's just an odd thought. Have you ever thought about marrying for love?" she asked curiously. _

"_I was in love once. It was a long time ago. I was young and foolish. I wouldn't find love now anyways. I would have to compete for his love with my country. The allure of power is often too much for men to bear," Elizabeth explained. _

"_I understand your struggle. Now that I have to find someone other than Francis, I'm finding myself in that exact situation," Mary said sadly, "Unlike you, I need to marry someone to increase Scotland's strength." _

Her mother and her advisors had been furious when they found out about Scotland's new alliance with England and how they had ended the alliance with France so quickly. Mary had to remind them firmly that although she relied on them for advice, it was up to Mary to make the final decision. She also told them that the decision was in Scotland's best interests and if they didn't see that, they were blind.

One thing that her mother wouldn't give up on was the prospect of marriage. Apparently since her return to France, there had been many interested suitors that had demanded reports on her. Since the dissolution of her engagement to Francis, there had been a lot of marriage prospects. This overjoyed her mother to no end. However, marriage had been the last thing on Mary's mind. There had been a couple suitors since her time at English court, but none of them had panned out so far except for one.

The King of Spain, Philip II, had started courting her. It was odd, because he had been previously married to Elizabeth's older sister Mary. It was frustrating; because this was the only issue that Elizabeth refused to give her advice on. Her mother was extremely supportive of the marriage, but that didn't mean very much to Mary anymore. She also didn't know how it would affect Scotland. Mary enjoyed having a secure alliance with England, but it would get complicated with Spain. King Philip was a huge supporter of the catholic religion. He hadn't been opposed to Elizabeth's ascension to the throne, but did want to bring Catholicism back to England. The part that made Mary uncertain was whether King Philip's goals aligned with her own goals for Scotland. He also had the Pope on his side.

King Philip was an extremely handsome man and he possessed many qualities that she valued in a husband. He wasn't too perfect like Tomas was, but was blunt unlike Francis. Mary knew exactly where she stood with Philip. He listened to her opinions and they had even discussed many controversial topics. Philip listened to her when she explained her rationale behind the religion tolerance law that had been recently introduced. That was one thing that he couldn't wrap his mind around. He did offer his opinion and arguments against it, but didn't try to force her to see things his way. That was a relief. Otherwise, he was chivalrous, respectful, and kind. He treated his servants well (she made sure to check after that incident with Tomas) and he was regarded well by his people. If Scotland, Spain, and England became allies, they would be a force to be reckoned with. Although there were many advantages to their union, Mary was still unsure and Elizabeth was strangely silent on the matter.

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Sometimes, Elizabeth threw parties in order to increase the morale of her people. Tonight was one of those nights and Mary already tell that everyone was in good spirits. The music was lively and upbeat making her want to dance to it. The atmosphere was light and cheerful. There was murmur of chatter that could be heard from her spot at the top of the staircase. When she was announced, Mary kept her head held high and gracefully descended. Although she looked every bit like a ruler, she was still nervous. It seemed as if everyone in the ballroom was looking at her. Deciding to shake it off, she went in search of a beverage as soon as she hit the ballroom floor.

Tonight was going to be different, because Philip was away on business. She was relieved, because she would be able to enjoy herself and not have to worry about alliances for one night. Mary missed the company of her friends, but went and mingled with other people anyways. Most of the women were sharing castle gossip, but they withheld gossip about Elizabeth knowing that there would be consequences if Mary heard them. Currently, she was listening to Sir Walsingham share the rumors he heard about an ally that the Pope just obtained. He wasn't quite sure who his ally was, but he wanted her to be on her guard.

Sir Walsingham was an average looking man. He had dark brown hair and a short beard. Her first impression of him was that he was an intimidating man. Mary hadn't been wrong in her impression. Sir Walsingham was Elizabeth's most trusted advisor, her spy, and the man that tortured information out of prisoners. After witnessing some of the things that he did for Elizabeth, Mary knew that there was no one more loyal to her or England. It had taken Elizabeth a great deal of time and persuasion before Sir Walsingham began to even tolerate Mary. He had been convinced that Mary was manipulating Elizabeth, so that she could steal the England throne. Mary wasn't quite sure what Elizabeth had said in her defence, but one day, Sir Walsingham began to trust her. She could still tell that he didn't completely trust her, as he would never trust anyone other than Elizabeth, but he had begun to slowly include her in English plots, council meetings, and anything that he thought she might need to be aware of.

Her mind faintly heard the ballroom door open and suddenly, time seemed to slow. The chatter had dimmed and suddenly nothing seemed important anymore. It was as if her instincts were trying to tell her something. They were telling her that something had changed in the last few minutes. Mary's eyes were drawn to the door and she couldn't believe the sight before her. She shook her head, blinked, and pinched herself, but to no avail.

Francis was standing at the top of the steps, smiling at the crowd. Mary's breath caught in her throat and she felt a pain in her chest. He looked even better then the last time she had seen him. Francis had cut his hair shorter, shaved, and was well dressed. He stood confidently and looked regal. When his blue eyes caught hers, his smile seemed to be even wider, which confused Mary. How was this possible? Francis was supposed be at his castle in France, not here in England. Why would his smile get even wider at seeing her? They hadn't left on the best of terms.

"_Don't say goodbye," Francis interrupted her, "I have a feeling that we will be seeing each other in the near future."_

That's when Mary realized that this had been his plan all along. She quickly looked away from him and looked for her cousin. There had to be an explanation for Francis' presence. As soon as she caught sight of her cousin's red hair, Mary practically ran to see her. If she had been in her right mind, she would not have left Sir Walsingham so rudely. Elizabeth saw the look of distress on Mary's face and quickly excused herself from her guest

"What has happened?" Elizabeth asked once she was by Mary's side.

Mary looked around the crowd, but Francis was nowhere in sight, "Why is Francis here?"

"Oh," Elizabeth laughed, "He's here by my invitation."

"Why?" she asked confused and a little bit hurt that she wasn't considered in the decision.

"He asked if he could reside at my castle for an unspecified amount of time. Francis is here representing France. Apparently the King of France would like England and France to become stronger allies," Elizabeth responded, "I couldn't say no to that. It would be rude and offensive to King Henry."

"No, I suppose you couldn't have," Mary said, "I'm sorry for pulling you away from your guest."

"I understand; it is quite the shock. Enjoy the rest of your night," she said smiling as she returned to her guest.

Mary watched her cousin walk away with dread in her stomach. Just like that, the pain she had felt six months ago flooded into her. A couple people approached her to engage her in conversation, but her mind didn't retain what they had talked about. Mary spent the rest of the night scouring the ballroom in search of Francis. She told herself that she did that so she could avoid him.

She could hear the combined whispers of the noblewomen, "Did you see the Dauphin of France? Did you know that he was once engaged to Queen Mary? Apparently, he got another woman pregnant. No, I heard that he tired of Queen Mary."

Hating the feeling she had in her stomach, Mary decided to get some air. It was strange that those whispers could make her feel like a little girl again. Hearing people speculate about her life was never easy, especially when it involved her past with Francis. In the past six months, she had learned to develop a tough shell but this chaos had thrown her practice out of the window. Reminding herself that she was a powerful queen and they were mere noblewomen gave her comfort.

The ballroom had been too warm, so the cool air and snow was welcome. The snow was softly falling in big, fluffy flakes. Mary was entranced at how beautiful the snow made the landscape outside of the castle. It was like she was in a story. Sometimes she missed the convent. Whether it was the French or the English court, there was always gossip, drama, and scandal. It was exhausting to constantly let their words deflect off of her. It was only the events of tonight that brought back that exhaustion. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her arm and she froze, because she knew whose hand it belonged to.

"Mary, there you are!" Francis said smiling brightly once she turned around.

It was unfair how beautiful he was. Mary had never considered a man beautiful, but that was the only word to describe it. The cold made his cheeks rosy and his eyes seemed bluer than ever. It looked like he had thrived in her absence and that thought made it felt like someone drove a danger in her stomach. His gaze was completely focused on her and she felt herself begin to blush. Mary wasn't used to being under such scrutiny.

Mary furrowed her brow, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for you," Francis replied seriously.

"I still don't understand. Have I missed something? I didn't think that we left on the best of terms," she asked confused.

He walked closer to her and softly touched her cheek, "I know. I'm here to change that. I'm here to win you back."

Mary backed away, but he grabbed her hand, "Francis-"

"I know that I hurt you and I don't deserve you, but I've come to a realization. It's late, but better late than never. I love you, Mary. These past six months without you have been the worst months of my life. I can't picture spending the rest of my life without you by my side. You're my best friend and I've been a fool to have let you go," Francis told her softly as his thumb softly rubbed across her hand giving her the shivers, "I don't expect you to answer now, but I'm here to win you back. I love you and I will prove to you that not only will I never hurt or doubt you again, but that we are meant to be together."

Before Mary could say anything, Francis kissed her forehead and walked back inside. She couldn't process her thoughts for a long time after he had left. Her body and her mind were in complete shock. The music was trailing outside and she felt a sense of euphoria that was conflicting with her anger. Her life had managed to get turned upside down in one night. What was she going to do now?

**Alright, so Francis wants to be redeemed. Will he be successful? How do you think he can prove his love to her? Next chapter will continue to explore Mary's life at English court. Let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**It took me a few tries to get this chapter right, but I think that it's finally presentable. Here's a glimpse into Mary's life in England. Enjoy! **

**Chapter 6**

When Mary woke up the next day, she woke up thinking she had the weirdest dream the night before. The more she thought back on it, the more she started to realize that it was, in fact, real. Francis had come back to England to win her back. Yesterday, she had been in shock. After staying outside for awhile, Mary had returned to her bedchambers. There had been no way she would have enjoyed herself after Francis' confession.

Now, she was furious. How dare he come back? Francis had his chance in France and he chose someone else over her. He was going to have to live with the consequences of that. Why would Elizabeth invite him to court? Mary was going to have some words to say to Elizabeth the next time they saw each other in private.

"Oh Mary, you're already awake! Perfect. You must prepare for a council meeting this morning," her lady-in-waiting Anne said as she entered Mary's bedchambers.

"Why is this the first that I'm hearing of this?" Mary asked as she got out of bed.

"It wasn't scheduled. Walsingham requested to have one this morning and Queen Elizabeth approved it," she replied as she started organizing things to help get Mary ready swiftly.

"Very well," Mary replied before getting dressed.

By the time that Mary was ready and ate breakfast, she was running late for the meeting. No matter how early she woke up or how fast she prepared, Mary would always arrive a few minutes late to the council meetings. Thankfully, being a queen meant that as annoyed as the other council members were, no one gave her grief about it.

The council was comprised of six members: Queen Elizabeth, Francis Walsingham, Robert Dudley, William Cecil, Albert Michaelson, and herself. Albert Michaelson was one of Mary's advisors from Scotland. Her mother had wanted to send Victor Brandon, but she had refused. Brandon would have been one of her mother's spies. Mary didn't doubt that her mother had spies in English and French court already, but she didn't want Brandon near her. He was power hungry and would have likely plotted against her. Michaelson was her mother's least favorite advisor, but had been a close friend of her father. His frankness made him one of her favorites, so Mary had sent for him instead.

William Cecil had been the man that had helped secure Elizabeth's throne. He was a short man with greying hair and walked with a limp. He was more of a traditionalist. He would tell Elizabeth that she had to marry someone to strengthen her hold on England at least once a council meeting. It was pretty entertaining to see the different responses Elizabeth would come up with to reject his marriage ideas.

To this day, Mary could still not figure out Robert Dudley and his relationship with Elizabeth. Some days, he was Elizabeth's favorite. Others, she gave him the cold shoulder. Mary had gathered that he had known her from before her reign had begun. He was fairly quiet, but usually had strong opinions when asked. Dudley was quite handsome. He was a tall, gangly man with deep brown eyes and light brown hair. She had heard rumors about the different ladies-in-waiting and women at court that he bedded. Dudley was a charmer when he was not sitting on the council. He was a mystery as far as Mary was concerned and a mystery that she did not care to unravel.

The guards opened the heavy chamber doors and Mary confidently strode into the room and took her seat at the table.

"Surprise, surprise. You're late again!" Elizabeth said smiling, "Now we can finally begin. What reports do you have to share Walsingham?"

Walsingham looked at them all with a serious expression on his face, "There are rumors that the Pope has gained a powerful ally. I still have not been able to find out whom it is, but we need to set up extra precautions. My spies tell me that he is angrier than usual these days."

"Are you sure we should be discussing matters regarding the Pope in front of her?" Dudley asked, looking almost bored.

"Excuse me?" Mary answered offended, "You know my position in this matter."

"You have to excuse us for asking," Cecil replied, "You are a Catholic. You can see why we are concerned."

Mary sighed, "Yes, I understand. I have been raised as a Catholic my entire life, but that does not mean that I agree with the Pope. If I did, do you really think I would be here? He thinks that Queen Elizabeth is the spawn of Satan and that is one of the kinder things he has said. The Church has been corrupted and I do not agree with many of its current politics. Since I have expressed no desire to sit on the English throne and I have agreed to the toleration of religion, I am not high on the Pope's list of people he supports. I will most likely be targeted as well as Elizabeth."

"She's right. Do you think it's wise to have both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary both residing here? It could make it easier to target them," Michaelson added in.

Elizabeth turned to him, "Queen Mary and I are stronger together than apart. Because we are together, people fear what we will do next. If we separate, it would do more harm than good. Who do we suspect to be in league with the Pope?"

"I believe we should be wary of King Philip and his ambassador Alvaro de la Quadra," Walsingham commented, "You are close to King Philip, Queen Mary. You are in the best position to gather information from him."

"Shouldn't I try to keep my distance from him?" Mary asked, uncomfortable with the idea of getting closer to someone likely plotting against her, "What if he tries to do something to hurt me?"

"King Philip wouldn't dare harm you himself at English court. You are probably safest with him," Walsingham replied, "It's just until we gather more information on the Pope's new ally. Until we know who it is, we won't be able to adequately prepare and thwart their plans."

"Alright. I'll do it," she said reluctantly, "What else is there to discuss?"

"That was all that was on the agenda today," Cecil said, "Queen Elizabeth, you should consider allying yourself with France. It could save England from a Spanish attack."

"Cecil, if I have to remind you one more time that I do not wish to get married, I will not be pleased," Elizabeth replied not in the mood for games, "The council is dismissed."

"Can I have a word?" Mary asked Elizabeth when the others started to leave.

"Sure, what did you want to talk about?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

"Were you aware of Francis' purpose here in England?" Mary asked angrily as soon as they were alone.

"Yes, of course I was aware," she replied nonchalantly.

"How could you let him come to court? Haven't you seen what a mess I've been for the past six months? I have just gotten back on my feet and you invite him to court! Didn't you consider my feelings in the matter when you invited him? Do you support him and his cause?" Mary asked raising her voice.

Elizabeth looked annoyed, "Of course I considered your feelings. That's why I invited him and yes, I do support him. I believe that you would be foolish for not allying yourself to France. They are a strong country that could help you against Spain should they choose to attack Scotland."

"Do you think I can just forget what he did to me?" she asked incredulously.

"No, of course not. I also think that you can work through it. He's a childhood friend and could prove to be a very powerful friend in the future. I think you're making a huge mistake by shutting him out of your life," Elizabeth explained softly, "I did this because I care about you."

Mary was quiet for a few minutes. She needed to recollect her thoughts and reflect on what Elizabeth had just told her. It was true that her and Francis had a long history. It had just only recently become romantic. Mary knew that she couldn't consider him romantically, but could she start a friendship with him? Mary would have to be firm about it though. When Francis takes control of France, she would have an ally in him. As long as he accepted that she couldn't be his wife.

"I admit that you're not completely off base, but I can't think of him romantically. There is too much hurt and pain there," Mary explained and lifted her hand so Elizabeth wouldn't interrupt her, "But I will try to be his friend. I know that Olivia has still been writing to him."

"And you also know that Francis hasn't been replying. I have spies in the French court as well," Elizabeth smiled, "Okay. If that's what you think is best for you, then you should do it."

"Thanks and I'm sorry for blowing up at you," she apologized, feeling a little bit embarrassed.

"We're family, it's what we do," Elizabeth replied laughing.

"Speaking of family, my mother wrote to me again. She's demanding another report," Mary told her annoyed.

"Let's discuss what we should disclose to her this time," she answered.

Mary and Elizabeth had agreed long ago that it would be better to appease Mary's mother and send her reports than anger her. They would share little unimportant things that had been happening at court, but nothing that would alert her mother on the council matters. Mary's mother wasn't aware that Mary was even on the council. Mary had sworn Michaelson to secrecy and she was happy when he smirked at her request. He hated her mother and was always happy to go against her wishes. After agreeing on what Mary should include in her next letter, they went their separate ways.

She decided to seek Francis out. As unhappy as she was with him, he deserved to know that she had no intention of taking him back. Not only that, but that she was also being courted by King Philip. There were so many games and plots going on at court that Mary wanted one less game to worry about.

Mary had spent the entire afternoon looking for him, but to no avail. She was feeling a little bit stressed, because there was going to be a play performed later that night. Philip had arrived at the castle earlier that morning and so he would be attending the play as well. Walsingham's words echoed in her head. Mary had to put her country first. She needed to make sure that Philip wasn't plotting against her or Elizabeth. She was going to use tonight as an opportunity to get even closer to him. Mary had hoped to spare Francis any hurt, but since he was nowhere to be found, that couldn't be avoided. With a confident stride, Mary returned to her bedchambers to start preparing for this evening.

* * *

Mary entered the room wearing a black dress that drew attention to her long neck. Her hair was styled into a bun that had braids weaved throughout it. She had smudged the charcoal around her eyes to draw more attention to make her brown eyes appear bigger. Tonight was going to be a very important night. To be completely honest, she was terrified. For her entire life, she had been a pawn in others' games. Mary had been content to sit back and observe. For the first time, she was going to be entering the game as a player.

Growing up, she had witnessed her mother's games. Marie de Guise was a terrifying woman. Mary had sometimes wondered if her mother and Queen Catherine were really twins. Although Queen Catherine had always had her son's best interest at heart, the same couldn't be said for her mother. It was a sad truth, but she knew her mother had been terribly disappointed that she wasn't a man. It was a truth that she had learned to accept as a little girl, but tonight, she had to forget that. She needed to channel her mother's personality. This was a dangerous game and it was so easy to get burned. Especially when you threw in the Queen of England, the Queen of Scotland, the King of Spain, and the Dauphin of France. The fact that Francis didn't know what was going on could possibly endanger her and Elizabeth.

If she didn't take a deep breath right now, Mary would worry herself into a stomachache. So Mary closed her eyes took a deep breath, so that she could get her nerves under control. She had focus on the mission and find out if Philip was plotting with the Pope. After her announcement, Mary smiled and started walking towards Elizabeth.

"Are you ready for tonight?" Elizabeth asked with a fake smile, "Be careful. He's a dangerous man."

"I will. This was an awful time to invite Francis," Mary commented still annoyed that she had invited him here.

"So you keep saying. King Philip is on his way, smile," she replied.

Mary turned around and gave Philip her warmest smile. King Philip was an impressive man. He was probably twice her age, but that did not detract from his good looks. His brown eyes rivaled hers and his raven black hair fell to his shoulders. Philip had a long, skinny scar that started from beside his eye and stopped right beside his mouth. He smiled back at her and within ten seconds was by her side.

Grabbing her hand and softly kissing it, he said, "Queen Mary, I have missed your company. I brought you a present. Alvaro, bring her the present. "

"That's very thoughtful of you," Mary answered as she looked at the book that had been handed to her.

She had told him once that she enjoyed reading, but she hadn't thought that he had heard her. Apparently he had and he had also made his intentions towards her very clearly. The book was about Spain's history. Smiling, she softly kissed his cheek. Philip signaled for a servant and they took the book for her so that it could be placed in her room.

Inside, Mary felt sick. It felt as if her heart physically hurt and she wondered, not for the first time, what she was doing. Why had she been chosen to become a ruler? In that moment, she hated Francis. If she had never met him, there was a real possibility that she would have feelings for Philip. There wasn't much to dislike in him other than he was potentially plotting her and Elizabeth's death. Mary almost laughed at herself. She was being ridiculous. Shaking her head, she looked up and her heart stopped beating.

Francis had just entered the room. Her brown eyes caught his blue ones, but she quickly looked away. She hated how easily she still reacted to him. Walsingham gave her a warning stare and she quickly refocused. Scotland depended on her actions tonight.

"Would you care for a dance?" Philip asked as he extended a hand out to her.

"This is my favorite song," Mary replied as she grabbed his hand and they started to move around the dance floor.

"I know. I have learned a lot about you over these past few months," he replied, "Have you considered my marriage proposal yet?"

"I have considered it, but I'm afraid that I don't have an answer for you," she admitted, "I have to reconsider Scotland's position and the impact a marriage between Spain and Scotland would have."

"I understand. You are just acting like the dutiful Queen that I know you to be," Philip said as he twirled her, "Were you aware of the Dauphin's plans to visit?"

"No, I found out when everyone else did," Mary replied.

"Do you know what his intentions at court are?" he asked her seriously.

"Of course not. My alliance with France ended six months ago," she lied, "Were you aware of his arrival?"

"No, I was not or I might not have left yesterday. There are rumors about the two of you," Philip implied looking unhappy.

Inwardly, Mary was starting to panic. She had to make sure that she stayed on good terms with Philip, but he wasn't pleased at the moment. Mary could see Francis towards of the back of the room looking equally as unhappy. She sighed knowing that she was probably hurting Francis, but what else could she do? As angry as she was at him, that was the last thing she wanted to do. Because Spain and France were always brutal enemies, it was going to be difficult to keep them both happy.

"Whatever those rumors implied, I would like you to keep in mind that they are simply rumors. The Dauphin of France and I are friends, nothing more and nothing less. Our alliance ended for a reason. It was no longer in Scotland's best interest to align with France. I don't see that changing. You have nothing to worry about," Mary told him seriously.

"Okay. I will take your word for it," he answered smiling.

"I appreciate that," she replied.

After everyone had arrived, the musicians stopped playing and the guests were told to find their seats. Mary was seated next to Philip and they kept talking about various topics ranging from their music preferences and his recent trip. After the discussion about Francis, Philip seemed to relax slightly around her. The candles around the guests had been blown out and the play started.

Mary didn't pay attention to the play. The guests were sitting in a "U" shape and the stage was in the middle. Right across from her sat Francis. Was it that impossible to get away from him? As if sensing her eyes on him, Francis turned to face her and gave her a little smile. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Mary returned her attention to the stage. She felt Philip grab her hand and she gave him a smile. It was a little weak on her part, but Philip didn't notice.

In the blink of an eye, the candles were lit and the play was over. Just like before the play started, the end of the play was meant for socializing. Philip escorted her away from the other guests into a more private area of the room.

"I have some pressing concerns to address with you and I wanted to do it away from listening ears," Philip asked her suddenly, "If we were to marry, what would happen to your alliance with England?"

It took Mary a minute before she could answer, "It would remain as it is. I do not have cause to go to war against England."

"The law that you passed regarding the tolerance of religions will remain in place then?" he asked her curiously.

"Yes," Mary replied seriously, "It is in the best interest of Scotland. It has proved effective and I plan on continuing it regardless of my standing with England. Will that be a problem?"

"I will have to speak to the Pope. My relationship with the Pope is extremely important," Philip explained, "Would you be willing to change the law if the Pope disagrees with it?"

"I would have to think about it. Like I have said before, I do not make these decisions lightly," she answered hoping that by not giving him an answer, she would be able to discover more, "The excitement of the night has caught up with me, so I must retire for the evening. I will talk to you soon?"

"Yes, we will talk soon," Philip answered as he kissed her cheek, "Have a good night."

Mary smiled at him once more before finding her cousin. It would have been rude to leave without telling her she was going to retire. Elizabeth was in a heavy discussion with one of Russia's ambassadors, so when Mary caught her eye, she indicated that she was leaving. With a nod of approval, Mary finally left the room.

The room had been too warm, too stuffy, and too full of scheming individuals. Walsingham, Dudley, and Michaelson had been watching her throughout the night. It was enough to drive a person mad. Her feet were aching and she was in a terrible mood. Instead of going to her bedchambers, Mary headed towards the library. There was something about libraries that comforted her and tonight, she needed it. When she opened the heavy doors, she was surprised to find someone already there until she saw who it was. All the anger she had fled, when she saw him sprawled on a couch. It reminded her of all the late nights they had spent talking when they were younger.

"Francis, what are you doing here?" Mary asked him as she walked towards the couch closest to the lit fireplace.

Francis smiled from his spot on the other couch, "I had a feeling that you would be visiting the library tonight. How many times have you done this in France?"

"You have a point. I'm just surprised that's all," she answered as she took off her shoes to relieve her throbbing feet, "I'm sorry that you had to see me with King Philip. I looked for you all afternoon, but I couldn't find you to warn you."

"I was hunting, so I was away all day," he answered and his gaze was focused intently on her, "I realize the state that we left things in France. If I had my way, we would be together. I realize that this might be too much to ask of you, so I understand if you don't want me here. I have been acting on my feelings and selfishly."

Mary's head was resting against the armrest, "It's strange how easy it is to talk to you even after everything has happened. We have so much history as friends and as more, but our history that I don't think that I can let you walk out of my life. I have tried so hard to hate you, but it's exhausting. Could we try to just be friends? Elizabeth is the only friend I have here and I would welcome another one."

"Yes, we can be friends. I'll always be here for you, Mary. I told you that I would be at your side against foes seen and unseen. That's a promise that I intend to keep," Francis said as he sunk deeper into his own couch.

"I'm glad. It's just been so difficult politically these past six months," Mary confessed, "I feel like I'm out of my league."

"You have been making quite a few changes," he smiled in agreement, "Don't give me that look. I've been keeping up with Scotland's political news. You and your cousin are quite courageous passing that law. It isn't something that I have ever considered."

"I had to give it a lot of thought, but then I realized that I couldn't persecute my people regardless of the religion that they belonged to," she explained, "Not very many people are happy about it. I just have so many doubts."

"You're strong, Mary. Even as a girl, you never followed the rules," Francis told her laughing, "Remember the time that your governess found us having a mud fight? I had never seen her so angry before."

"The best part was when she came storming up to us and she slipped and fell. Her face was caked with mud," Mary continued laughing, "My poor governess. I probably sent her into retirement early."

"That wouldn't surprise me," he said as his laughter died down.

"Francis, I think someone's plotting to kill me," she told him grimly, "I'm scared."

The fireplace lit up Francis' blue eyes, "Don't be. You have powerful friends and you're strong. You can get through this. Do you know who's behind it?"

"The Pope is less than pleased with me and has allied himself with someone powerful," Mary explained, "We don't know who yet."

"I'll have my people look into it. Between France, England, and Scotland's resources, we should be able to figure it out soon," he told her, "Mary, I am so sorry for what I did to you. I have regretted it every day since you've left."

Mary sighed, "I know you're sorry. I guess it took your return for me to acknowledge our friendship. I forgive you, but I can't forget it."

"That's more than I deserve," he said.

Francis and Mary stayed up for a few more hours catching up on all that they had missed. They were so distracted that they hadn't realized that the fire had burnt out. Mary wasn't sure who had fallen asleep first, but before she knew it darkness took her. The next morning, Elizabeth walked into the library and when she spotted Francis and Mary asleep on their respective couches, she quietly grabbed a book and left with a smile on her face.

**I am not pleased with tonight's episode. I don't know who I'm more upset with: Francis or Mary. I understand where they are both coming from, but I just want to hit them both over the head! The previews for next week look promising, so I'm holding out hope that things improve.**

**What did you think of this chapter? Do you like the direction the story is taking? Things between Francis and Mary are slowly improving :). Please leave a review and let me know! **


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter is finally here! Enjoy. **

**Chapter 7**

The morning after the play started out like any typical day. Mary had been woken up by Emma, because she was summoned to yet another council meeting. In her opinion, there were too many of those lately. It was great to have an opportunity to talk about current political issues, but Mary preferred to spend that time productively. She didn't want to spend another session debating on who could be the Pope's newest ally. Mary wanted some answers. She would have preferred spending the morning analyzing the new development between her and Francis: namely, their friendship. Mary had desperately needed a friend the night before, but had she really thought that decision through? Would they be able to maintain that friendship given their history? Mary wasn't sure, but she had no time to ponder it.

For once, Mary arrived early and took her seat at the wooden table. She tried to recall the details of her time spent with Philip, because she knew that it was going to be analyzed at today's meeting. Looking out the window, she was disappointed to find a grey sky. There was something in the air today that made the castle seem somber. Finally, one by one the other council members entered the room and took their respective seats.

"What did King Philip disclose to you yesterday night?" Walsingham asked suddenly to start off the meeting.

Mary sighed, "He wanted to know how close my alliance is to England. He was also curious about the new law I have implemented in Scotland. King Philip wanted to know if I would be willing to reconsider it if we were to marry."

"What did you say?" Cecil asked curiously.

"I was honest. I told him that the law would remain as long as I was the Queen of Scotland. He seemed a little bit disappointed by this," Mary explained, "King Philip told me that he values his relationship with the Pope."

"Do you think that he might be plotting with the Pope?" Walsingham asked as his eyes searched hers for any lie she might tell.

"There is no proof of that so far. I believe that he would try to change the way Scotland is run if we were to marry, but he gave no indication as to whether or not he wanted Elizabeth and I dead," she said sighing.

"I will continue to look for this ally. I will not rest until I am certain that England is safe," Walsingham replied as he took a seat at the table.

The mood during the council meeting was gloomier than usual. Cecil looked worried. He was sitting hunched over the table and his hands kept fidgeting. Dudley was deep in thought and didn't seem to be paying any attention to the meeting. That was typical behavior, so Mary wasn't too concerned about it. Walsingham was more direct today. He would get up and pace every once in awhile with a furrowed brow. What was going on? Only Michaelson seemed to be himself today.

"I think that you should decline King Philip's marriage proposal," Elizabeth said after being strangely quiet throughout the entire meeting.

"Why do you say that?" Mary asked curious as to why Elizabeth was offering her opinion when initially she had refused to advice Mary in this matter.

Elizabeth looked grim as she explained her reasoning, "It is clear that you do not stand for the same things as rulers. Although you are both Catholic, you both approach religion differently. His relationship with the Pope is sacred to him. You do not care a great deal that your relationship with the Pope has been compromised by allying yourself with me. He is against the law you recently introduced. Spain is a strong country and I don't believe that King Philip will want to relinquish part of his control to you. He is a difficult man and you would be the one that would have to compromise. It is my belief that it is not in Scotland's best interest to ally yourself with Spain."

The rest of the council observed the pair waiting for Mary's reaction. They had never challenged each other in front of others, so this was a unique event. Mary looked at them all before slowly rising. To everyone else, Elizabeth looked every bit the strong ruler that she was. Only Mary could see the doubt in her eyes and that was what bothered her. What had Mary ever done to deserve to be doubted?

"I don't know what you've discussed behind my back. Don't give me that look. I can tell that you are all on edge yet you did not see me fit to know as well. Thank you for your advice, Queen Elizabeth. I will think on it. I will excuse myself so you can discuss these pressing events that I'm not fit to know. Let me know when you're ready to fill me in on the situation," Mary said noting Michaelson's confused expression before she turned and left the room.

As soon as Mary left the room, she took a deep breath and walked away. That council meeting had not been what she had expected it to be. Mary knew that they would want to know what she managed to gather from Philip, but she knew that she was missing something. What would cause them to mistrust her? Maybe they had discovered who the ally was and lied to her. If that was the case, why wouldn't they tell her? Her life was on the line just as much as Elizabeth's. Also, why had Elizabeth chosen that time to tell her that she didn't approve of Philip. She was clearly missing something. Michaelson seemed to be in the dark as well, which did not comfort her.

Finally, she had arrived at her chambers. Upon entering the room, Mary could tell that something was amiss. After taking a few steps, someone came out of nowhere and started hugging her. The other person must have felt Mary tense, because she released Mary.

"Lola?" Mary asked confused, "What are you doing here?"

"I had important news to share with you and I wanted to tell you in person," Lola answered smiling, "I'm engaged!"

"That is wonderful news! Sit down, you must tell me everything," she said as she gestured to a chair.

As Mary took her seat and waited for Lola to get comfortable, Mary took that moment to observe her. Lola was glowing. Her cheeks were rosy, her blue eyes looked brighter than ever, and her curly hair had been tamed into waves today. She looked better than Mary had ever seen her. Mary's heart burst in happiness at her friend's news. Engaged! This news made her completely forget about this morning's events.

"It was very unexpected. Bash and I have taken to horseback riding. We try to go once a day if we can, although every second day is more like it. We had ridden to one of our private spots and stopped to spend some time together. We were laughing at a joke he had made when suddenly he turned very serious. I thought something terrible had happened. He grabbed my hands and told me that he loved me. Bash then asked me to marry him. It's the happiest moment of my life," Lola told her beaming.

"It seems like just yesterday that I found out that Bash was in love with you. What drew you to him? I seemed to have missed stories from your courtship," Mary said as she offered Lola a drink.

Lola grabbed the glass of wine, "We had developed a strong friendship after he got injured. We started talking and then one day he kissed me. We have so much in common and we just fit. He's the first person I want to tell whenever something good or bad has happened to me."

"I am so happy for you," Mary replied, "When are you planning on having the wedding?"

"Probably sometime in July," she answered, "That gives us enough time to prepare and I have always dreamed of a summer wedding."

"I'll make sure that my schedule is clear. I can't believe you're getting married," Mary said smiling widely.

"I know. Sometimes being with Bash feels like a dream," Lola replied laughing, "I've missed you, Mary."

"I've missed you too, Lola. More than you could imagine. How have Greer and Aylee been?" she asked curiously.

"Good. Greer is still seeing Leith much to my surprise and Aylee is still looking for a match for her. She's getting a little frustrated, but I told her to be patient. The right man will come when it is right," Lola informed her, "So how's Francis?"

Mary threw a pillow at Lola, "Stop smiling that way! He's good. I think he has finally settled into English court."

"Has there been progress between you two?" Lola asked smirking.

"We have decided to become friends. Francis told me about his intentions towards me, but I told him that we could only be friends," she explained.

"Mary, are you sure you're doing the right thing by keeping him at an arm's length away? I know that you still love him," Lola said.

"I don't see what other choice I have. Of course I still love him. I don't think I'll love anyone else, but he hurt me. I find myself in a position where I can't trust him as more than a friend," Mary replied.

"Can I tell you something that I've observed? You and Francis have a legendary love. It is so rare for two rulers who have been betrothed to each other to fall in love. Francis is human just like everyone else and he made a mistake. I'm not saying that what he did was right, but we have all made mistakes. I have never seen two people more in love or more right for each other. If I were you, I wouldn't give it up so easily," she said as Mary listened intently.

"Thank you for sharing your opinion with me. I am doing the best that I can, but I'm not an ordinary girl. My decisions have to be made with Scotland's best interests. If Francis were to betray me again, who knows what could happen. That's why I can only be his friend right now. Anything else is too complicated or hurts to much to think about," Mary answered upset, "Let's talk about something else. How is Lady Kenna?"

"You don't have to sound so formal when you talk about her. She is your friend," Lola said quietly.

"No," Mary replied, "After what she did, we are no longer friends."

"Well since you asked, things haven't not been the best for her. Kenna believed King Henry when he told her that he was over Diane and that she was taking over as the official mistress. As you have probably guessed, that wasn't the case. King Henry has gotten bored of her and it didn't help when she has brought up her insecurity regarding Diane and Queen Catherine. You know first hand that Kenna has always dreamed of rising above her station. I fear that she'll do something drastic soon if she doesn't get her way," Lola confided in Mary.

"She should be careful, because she's no longer under my protection," Mary commented but stayed quiet on the subject.

"What are you talking about?" she asked confused.

Mary sighed, "When the King takes on a mistress, she only answers to the King. To make a long story short, in the past, mistresses would use their situation to their advantage. When they were in favor of the King, they would ignore their own ruler. When things didn't go well with the King or they were in danger, they would seek their ruler's protection. It has caused many wars in the past and finally, we all agreed to put a stop at it. A mistress is not something that countries should go to war for. When the King takes on a mistress, their ruler loses all power towards her and they do not get to switch back. I tried to warn Lady Kenna about it, but she didn't listen to me. There is absolutely nothing that I can do for her anymore. It is up to King Henry's discretion."

"Is that why you're upset with her?" Lola asked.

"Part of me is upset that she made her decision so lightly, but I'm mad at her for another reason. She tried to manipulate me into staying in France. It wasn't for my benefit, but for hers. Francis had told me previously about her affair with the King, but when I asked her if she was seeing anyone, she denied it. I also cannot believe that she would put Scotland into a compromising position. She was my subject. If Queen Catherine or Diane had been upset about it, it could have affected Scotland's relationship with France. My parents had put a lot of effort into that relationship and it could have been erased by Lady Kenna's actions. I can't have someone who will hide things from me, try to manipulate me, and act as recklessly as she does," Mary explained.

"But Kenna's always been a wild card, what has changed?" Lola said wanting to understand Mary's side.

Mary stood up and walked towards the fireplace, "I have changed a lot since I have left France. When I had returned to France, I wanted to be just like any other girl. I thought that it was possible for me and I took reckless risks. I've finally realized that I'm the Queen of Scotland and I cannot afford to act that way anymore. As much as I sometimes hate it, Scotland's welfare is my responsibility. As much as I would like to fix things with Kenna, she has already proven to me that she cannot be trusted. I cannot afford for her to betray me and Scotland in her play for power. I know that you're still friends with her, but that is not a luxury that I can have."

Lola joined her by the fireplace and put a hand on her shoulder, "You have changed and sometimes that makes me sad, because I can tell that you've lost your innocence. Some of these changes are good though. You're stronger now and you've come into your own as a ruler. My family has been extremely supportive of the changes that you've made in Scotland."

"I'm glad to hear that. Thank you for understanding and for not pushing me to resolve things with Lady Kenna. I appreciate that," Mary said smiling.

They returned to the chairs and continued talking about various subjects. Lola was informing Mary of the plans she had already made for the wedding. Mary could tell that something had changed between them. There was a larger distance between them. She could no longer disclose certain things to Lola and that made her a little sad. Things were changing and Mary had yet to see if they were positive changes. Lola didn't seem to be fazed by this changed and continued talking about life at French court and Bash. Mary sat back in her chair and listened eagerly to what happened in a regular girl's life.

* * *

Frustrated with the day's event, Mary decided to take her dog for a walk. Although it was cold outside, fresh air always managed to calm Mary down. Elizabeth had invited Mary to her chambers to have tea, but Mary had declined. She knew that Elizabeth probably had her own reasons for withholding information, but it didn't mean that Mary had to like it. She just needed a little bit of space before facing Elizabeth or other council members again.

After spending an hour playing with Starling outside, it surprised Mary how much happier she felt. On her way back to the castle, she was surprised to find Philip walking towards the castle as well.

"Philip, what a surprise!" Mary said when she got closer to him, "What are you doing outside in this cold weather?"

"My horse was recently injured, so I was just checking on him to see how the injury was healing," Philip told her smiling, "What were you doing outside alone?"

"I wanted to spend some time with my dog, so I brought her out so she could get some fresh air," she replied smiling.

A thought had suddenly come to her. Just because Elizabeth and the council members chose to hide something didn't mean that she couldn't figure it out on her own. Maybe Philip could give her some kind of clue. Although Philip stood there patiently, she could tell that he was cold. His nose and cheeks were rosy from the cold.

"Would you like to get something warm to drink? We could sit in the library," Mary suggested hopefully.

"Sure. I will need to change my clothes, but I can meet you there within the half hour," Philip replied smiling, "I will see you soon."

As soon as Philip was out of sight, Mary quickly returned to her room. She quickly went through her wardrobe and picked a royal blue dress that she had been told looked good on her. Mary heard Lola walk towards her. Earlier, Mary had asked if Lola wanted to stay with her during the rest of her visit. Lola agreed and Mary was thankful for the company. It reminded her of old times.

"Mary, why are you in such a rush?" Lola asked as she grabbed matching shoes from the closet.

"I'm meeting King Philip shortly and I need to make a good impression," Mary explained as she started to change.

"Oh, I didn't know you and the King of Spain were close," she commented as she started brushing Mary's hair.

"He has asked me to marry him," Mary replied, "I have gotten to know him over the past few months."

"What's he like?" Lola asked curiously.

"He's nothing like I had expected. Philip has been very respectful towards me, he listens patiently to my stories, and he tells me about his experiences in Spain," she told Lola, "A lot has happened in the past six months."

"I can tell. Are you going to accept his marriage proposal?" Lola asked as she made the final touches to the braid she incorporated in Mary's hair.

Mary got up when she was finished and put on her black shoes, "Honestly, I'm not sure. We have a few things that we don't agree on politically. I will just have to wait and see."

"Is he the reason why you rejected Francis' advances?" she asked as she walked Mary to the door, "I'm sorry. Francis is soon to be my brother-in-law and I worry about him."

Mary gave Lola a hug, "Don't apologize. You are the kindest person I know. You always think about others so naturally you would think about Francis. Honestly, Philip isn't the reason and I know that isn't what you want to hear. I'm sorry, but I need to go before I'm late. We will talk about this later."

When she arrived in the library, Mary was thankful that Philip hadn't arrived yet. It gave her a few minutes to relax and escape Lola's questions. She knew that Lola meant well, but it was tiring hearing about Francis. She had made her decision on the matter; why couldn't everyone else just leave the issue alone? They were friends now and in her opinion, that was a huge step in itself. Even Elizabeth had been indicating that she would prefer Mary to marry Francis over Philip. Mary wasn't sure if Elizabeth's motives were political, as Philip could be trying to kill them, or if she agreed with Lola. She was startled from her thoughts when Philip entered the room.

Philip took a seat across from her and smiled. He truly was a handsome man. He was also very respectful and kind. It seemed hard to imagine that he could be behind the Pope's newest plots. A few minutes later, a servant came in with the tea. Mary felt slightly foolish. She had invited Philip for a warm beverage and hadn't made the arrangements with the serving staff.

"I'm happy that you arranged for tea to be brought over, because it had slipped my mind," Mary admitted as soon as the servant left.

Philip laughed, "I figured that you might, so I took matters into my own hands. I hope you do not mind?"

"Not at all. How has your stay in England been so far?" she asked as she grabbed a cup of earl grey tea.

"It has been good. Queen Elizabeth has been very accommodating. How has your stay been?" Philip asked curiously.

His dark eyes were watching her carefully and Mary knew what she had to do, "It was going very well initially, but now I feel like my time at English court might be drawing to a close."

"What happened?" he asked as he took a sip of his own cup of tea, "Why didn't you inform me of this yesterday?"

"Things have been rather tense between Elizabeth and I. At first, our different religions didn't impact our alliance. Lately, it seems as if Elizabeth wants to head in a new direction and I'm not sure that I can follow her. My conscience wouldn't allow it. I didn't say anything yesterday, because I am being watched. Walsingham doesn't trust me and has been waiting for me to make a mistake," Mary told him hoping that he would believe her lie.

"What new direction does she want to follow? As you are aware, I am quite close with the Pope and maybe I can advise you in the matter," Philip suggested as he leaned back in his chair.

"I'm afraid I am not at liberty to disclose that information with you," she said disappointed, "I just wonder if there is any way that I could be forgiven for what I have done."

"And what is it that you have done?" he asked carefully.

Mary sighed, "Allying Scotland with England. It has ruined my relationship with the Pope and my people are not happy. I am at a loss on what I should do about the entire situation."

"If that is the case, I might have a suggestion. Although others might think that I am quick to trust you, I have seen that you are an honest woman during my stay in England," he said suddenly leaning towards her and dropping his voice to a whisper, "The Pope has been looking for a way to discredit Queen Elizabeth and remove her from the throne. He had a plan to do the same thing to you, but I believe I can convince him otherwise now that I know your thoughts on the matter."

"I would be so grateful," she replied smiling, "I don't know how I could repay you for your kindness."

"It is nothing," Philip replied smiling, "You will be a lot easier to deal with than your mother. Of course this means that we will need to be married shortly."

"My mother? What does she have to do with anything?" she asked confused, ignoring his marriage comment.

To Mary's surprise, Philip turned pale, "I wasn't supposed to say anything. Your mother has not been satisfied with how you've chosen to rule Scotland."

"I am aware of her displeasure, but there's nothing she can do while I am the Queen," Mary replied irritated that her mother's displeasure had reached his ears and confused as to how her mother was connected to their conversation.

"Yes, you are quite right. That is why she wished to rectify the problem," he said carefully.

It took a moment for Mary to realize the implications of what he had just told her. Then as if a fog had been lifted, everything suddenly made sense. Her mother's silence as of late and Elizabeth and the council members' behavior earlier this morning were now clear. Her mother was the powerful ally that the Pope had just acquired. Her mother wanted to get rid of her so she could resume ruling Scotland once again. The information was so horrific that she couldn't process it emotionally.

"How had she planned to rectify the problem?" Mary asked keeping her face indifferent, "Had she planned on imprisoning me?"

"Not quite," Philip replied vaguely.

"She means to kill me?" she asked outraged.

He sighed, "That is what she had planned on doing. I told her why I disagreed, but she was adamant. Your mother seems to think that you could escape or plan an attack from prison. If you were dead, it would be final. She would no longer have to worry about you."

This information was too much for Mary to process. It didn't feel real. Suddenly everything in the library seemed too bright and too warm.

"This information has been a lot to take in. Would you mind if I excused myself? We can continue this discussion another day," Mary suggested feeling lightheaded.

"Yes. I am sorry to have been the one to inform you of your mother's plans. Do not make any rash decisions. I am sure that we can come up with a peaceful solution for both you and your mother. I will talk to you soon," Philip said as he left the room.

At once, Mary sent a trusted servant to gather the council members. She quickly walked towards the council chambers and waited for the others. She was extremely angry that they had chosen to hide this from her. Hadn't she proved her loyalty? Now that she knew that her mother was targeting her, they had to make a plan. This situation was too close to her and she knew that she was biased. Mary needed the other council members to help her come to a decision. Finally, everyone had arrived.

"Why have you summoned a meeting?" Queen Elizabeth asked irritated, "I was in the middle of something important."

"This is more important. I know that my mother is involved with the Pope's plan. Why did you hide this from me?" Mary asked angrily.

"We couldn't be sure of your loyalty," Dudley responded nonchalantly.

Queen Elizabeth raised her hand to quiet everyone, "That is not why we didn't tell you. There was no concrete proof that she is the new ally. We wanted to be sure that we gathered the evidence before we told you. How did you find out?"

"Next time, you share this information with me regardless of the lack of evidence. I deserved to know. King Philip accidentally told me. It is now confirmed. Now what is the next step we should take?" Mary answered professionally, "Should we imprison her?"

"I don't think that is wise," Michaelson replied seriously, "I think that we should execute her for treason. That is the penalty. We should not make an exception for your mother."

"I agree with Michaelson, but we need to gather information from her first," Walsingham stated, "I could make a trip to Scotland and gather it for you if you wish."

Walsingham's trust in her was apparent in that moment. He was willing to leave Elizabeth's side to help her. Well, he was also helping Elizabeth by doing this but it was rare for him to leave her. Although the circumstances were dire, Mary felt a real sense of belonging with this group of people.

Mary had been standing during the exchange, but found that she needed to sit. Her mind finally caught up to the situation. They were talking about executing her mother. Not only executing her, but torturing her. This whole situation seemed surreal. Was it only yesterday that she fell asleep talking to Francis? What was Francis doing right now?

"I know that you're reluctant," Elizabeth said quietly, "But this needs to be done. Michaelson is right. We would do this for anyone else and your mother cannot be the exception. You would have a civil war in Scotland. People torn between supporting your mother and you. Your mother planned on killing you. She's serious about this revolution. We need to gather as much information on our enemies as we can and your mother is the key to that. I wish there was another way, but there isn't."

"Imprisonment is an easy sentence. Your mother is the first example of treason that you've had to deal with during your reign. If you do not handle this appropriately, others might not be as hesitant to challenge your authority. I have seen this happen to other rulers during my time," Cecil replied gravely.

Mary let their voices flow over her and thought about what they had told her. With a heavy heart, she knew that they were right. Her mother was a threat to her country and her people. She had committed treason of the highest order and according to the laws her own grandfather had made, her mother had to be sentenced to death.

"Walsingham. As long as it is alright with Queen Elizabeth, I give you leave to go to Scotland and to try to gather information from my mother. Find out who her allies are, her supporters in Scotland, what her plans are, and the other standard questions. Michaelson, you will accompany him and help him in this task. No one is to know that Walsingham is there. I do not want my people to resent England and our alliance. Michaelson, you will carry out my orders and I will provide them to you in writing. After gathering information, I sentence my mother to death by guillotine. Send Queen Elizabeth and I progress reports," Mary commanded professionally.

"I will see to it, your Majesty," Michaelson replied bowing.

Mary quickly wrote and signed the order. With a trembling hand, she handed it to Michaelson.

"Is there anything else we haven't addressed?" she asked wanting to leave as soon as possible.

"I believe we have covered everything. That is enough for today. You may leave," Elizabeth said grimly.

With a deep breath, Mary walked out of the room with her head held high. As soon as the door closed, she ran without a destination in mind.

**Sorry it has taken so long for me to update. The plot is getting quite a bit thicker and I have additional research to do. I have also had a million assignments due this week and I've been quite sick on top of it. So this is quite an intense chapter. I will be exploring Mary and her mother's relationship in the next chapter. It will also contain a lot of FrancisxMary scenes to make up for the lack of Francis in this chapter. No matter how hard I tried, he just didn't fit into this chapter, but I have big plans for him in the next update :). **

**Thank you for being so great. Let me know what you think :). **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The snow crunched under her boots and the cool wind hit her rosy face. The snow was falling softly, but Mary took no notice of it. She couldn't walk fast enough. _Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. _Her brown eyes were filled with tears that threatened to fall. With a sob, she finally collapsed on a snow bank and started to cry. For the first time in a long time, Mary wished that her father was there to comfort her. She had heard that he was a great man and his council was much needed. His missing role in her life seemed too apparent now and she wished there was some way to talk to him. The tears kept falling, but she still couldn't begin to comprehend the news she had just received.

Not for the first time, she wondered why her. Why was she born a Stuart? It was something that she had never asked for. Despite this, Mary completed every duty and obligation others demanded of her and she often did it without complaint. Mary was aware that as a queen, she had obligations. She knew that others craved the power that she possessed. If it was up to her, she would give it up willingly. But the memory of her father reminded her that she couldn't be selfish. There were those who would act in their own interests instead of her people's interests. It had been Mary's duty from birth to protect her people from these individuals.

Never in a million years had she expected her mother to be one of them. Marie de Guise had always been a cold, ambitious woman who craved power like it was oxygen. It was no secret. She had made brutal and harsh decisions as regent and her people were still recovering from her mother's short rule. There was nothing for Mary to do except to wait for the day that it was her turn to reign. She had promised herself that she would help her people heal.

She knew that she would take a different approach to ruling than her mother, but Mary had never expected her mother to think she was incapable of ruling. Mary knew that she was young and inexperienced, but she was the Queen and her mistakes were hers to make. The consequences would be hers to bear and hers to correct when the time came.

Mary's trembling hands covered her mouth to prevent another sob, but this just made her cry harder. She had never thought that her mother would disapprove of her ruling so much that she would make plans to assassinate her and take her throne. It didn't feel real. Mothers were supposed to be kind, caring, and should want to protect her children from harm. They weren't supposed to be the cause of the harm.

They were never supposed to put their children in the position where they would have to order their own parent's execution. Mary felt disgusted with herself. She had never envisioned this day. Her mother was always in the background, but had been relatively harmless. Until now. What was her mother thinking? Did she really think that Mary wouldn't find out about her plans? Because of her mother, Mary had to live with her mother's treason for the rest of her life. Her eyes started to get heavy at this thought.

_Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. _Mary faintly heard someone approaching, but she didn't have the strength to care anymore. Closing her eyes, she felt content lying here in the bitter cold.

"Mary? Mary, what have you done?" a male's voice called out when they saw her.

Strong hands grabbed her and soon, she was being carried like a baby. Lazily opening her eyes, she was met with Francis' face. He looked angry and scared.

"Francis?" she asked as she lifted her hand, but dropped it due to the amount of effort it took.

"You're awake? Good. I'm bringing you back to the castle. Everything is going to be okay," he said as he continued to hurry back to the castle.

Feeling out of it, Mary snuggled into his arms and felt safe. It had been so long since she was last held. With that last thought, she drifted into a deep, uneasy sleep.

* * *

Slowly opening her eyes, Mary did not feel well. Her head was pounding, her body ached, and her throat hurt. She started to cough and was surprised when water was offered to her. Greedily drinking the water, Mary felt the water soothe her throat. Finally, she looked over and saw that Francis was sitting beside her. She couldn't begin to describe the different emotions that she saw on his face and didn't know what to say. How did she get here? What had happened?

Finally, Francis broke the silence, "How are you feeling?"

"I've felt better. What happened?" Mary asked as her voice croaked.

"I'm not sure. I was taking a walk outside when I came across you almost frozen. Mary, what were you doing? I have never been more scared in my life," he replied as he gave her more water.

Taking a sip, Mary sighed, "I was upset. I just needed a bit of air."

"Why were you upset?" Francis asked as he leaned forward.

"I don't want to talk about it," Mary replied coldly.

"You could have died, Mary, if I hadn't found you. Obviously something big is bothering you. I've never seen you like this before," he told her.

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you thought you did," she answered shortly, the memories of the past few days were overwhelming her.

"Don't give me that attitude. I know you better than anyone. I know that something very wrong has happened. Has someone tried to hurt you? King Philip?" Francis asked concerned.

It took Mary a few minutes before she could answer. The pain of her mother's betrayal was more than she could bear. She almost wished that Francis hadn't found her. That way she wouldn't have to deal with the outcome of her actions. At once, Mary was horrified by her own thoughts. Finally, she looked up at Francis and really looked at him. He had bags under his eyes and looked like he hadn't slept for the past couple of days. He must have stayed with her since he found her. Part of Mary melted at that thought. Finally, she gathered her courage.

"My mom plans to overthrow me and take control of Scotland," Mary said softly, "The Pope, King Philip, and my mother have been planning to assassinate Elizabeth and I."

"How did you find out?" he asked surprised.

"Elizabeth knew before I did, but didn't have any proof. I persuaded King Philip to reveal his plans to me. I wasn't expecting him to mention my mother's involvement however," she replied, her voice getting a little shaky.

Francis took a deep breath and then released it, "I'm sorry. I had no idea. How are you?"

"Not well," Mary admitted.

"What do you plan on doing about it?" he asked her cautiously, "Have you thought about it?

She looked at him with a straight face, "I have already given my commands. I had to respond swiftly. I have sent Michaelson back to Scotland. He will persuade my mother to reveal her plans and allies. Once he has accomplished that, she will be executed."

"Mary, don't you think that's a bit harsh? She is your mother and you're talking about killing her. Wouldn't imprisonment serve as punishment enough?" Francis said astonished.

"No, it wouldn't be. By Scotland's laws, treason is punishable by death. I have commanded a quick, swift death. I realize she's my mother," Mary said as her voice trembled, "But I have no choice. I have not been challenged as a ruler previously and if I don't do this, then I will appear weak."

"You have taken Queen Elizabeth's council, I expect," he replied coldly, "The Mary that I know would never do this."

Mary rose up so that she was sitting in the bed, "Francis, you have no right to say that. Elizabeth has been nothing but a great friend. I have changed, but that is on me alone. I no longer entertain the notion of being just a girl. How many times do I have to explain that to other people? I have to make the difficult decisions for Scotland, because if I don't, no one else will!"

Francis put his head in his hands and didn't say anything. Mary didn't know what to do. She was no longer angry, but she was mentally and emotionally exhausted.

"I am so tired of having to explain myself to others. Everyone expects something different of me and it is so hard to try to live up to these expectations," she said tiredly.

"I'm sorry for my reaction," he said as he took her hand in his, "I can't imagine what it must be like to have to make that decision. I should have realized sooner that I wouldn't have found you out in the snow if you were okay with sentencing your mother to death. I lied. You haven't changed. You've just grown up and it scares me. I see what ruling a country does to a person and I don't want that to happen to you. I guess I still want to protect you from everything."

Mary squeezed his hand, "Thank you for recognizing that it wasn't an easy decision to make. I still feel sick to my stomach. How could my mother plot my own death? I don't know what I'll do with that information."

"Your mother has never acted like a mother should. You shouldn't be scared either. You won't turn into your mother. I never knew your father, but you are nothing like your mother. From what I have heard about your father, you are your father's daughter," Francis told her with a smile.

"How did you know that was what I was scared of?" she asked furrowing her brow.

"Mary, I know you just as well as I know myself. You should get some rest. I will come visit you later," Francis sad softly before leaving.

As soon as the door shut, Mary's exhaustion caught up with her. Apparently, she was still a little weak. Placing her glass of water on the table beside her bed, Mary snuggled into her blankets and fell into another deep sleep.

* * *

A few days passed since Francis' visit and Mary was finally recovered. It had been a trying few days, because she had received news of her mother's progress. As tough as her mother seemed, Walsingham and Michaelson seemed to be able to crack her almost as soon as they decided to start 'persuading' her. They still needed to research a couple things that she had mentioned, but now her mother was useless to them. She had given them all the information that she could. With a heavy heart, Mary read that her mother had been executed earlier that morning.

"Mary, everything is going to be alright," Elizabeth said comfortingly, "Your mother forced you into this action. There was nothing that you could have done differently."

"Why do I feel so horrible then?" Mary asked her.

"You feel that way, because you're human. I would be concerned if you didn't care at all," she replied, "You did it to protect your country and your people."

Mary didn't say anything, because no matter how many times she talked about it to someone, she never felt better. It was a feeling she was going to have to get used to, because it didn't feel like it was disappearing anytime soon.

"I was really worried about you," Elizabeth admitted, "I was so relieved when I found out that Francis had found you in time."

"Yes, I am very lucky. You don't need to keep worrying, I'm fine," Mary said with a half-hearted smile, "Not fine per say, but I am as close to fine as one could get on a day that they receive this type of news."

"I'm your cousin. I don't think I'll ever stop worrying. Have you seen King Philip yet?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

"No I haven't. I have been avoiding him. It is only time before he finds out what happened to my mother and then I'm afraid all hell will break loose," Mary admitted.

"There's always been something about him that I didn't trust," she commented, "Where did your friend go?"

"Lola? She had to return back to France while I was recovering from my little adventure. I was upset that I didn't get to say goodbye, but I understand. Lola is getting married soon so there have been a lot of preparations that she needs to attend to. I was lucky that she was able to visit at all," Mary explained.

Elizabeth smiled, "I'm glad that you got to see her for a short while at least."

The rest of the morning was spent talking about various subjects. The conversation was less lively than it usually was, because of Mary's mood. Elizabeth was accommodating and didn't comment on it. She had already talked enough about it and she knew that she would push Mary away if she continued to talk about Mary's mother's execution. Elizabeth motioned for one of her ladies-in-waiting to fill more tea and continued to tell Mary about the rumors she heard about a new world being discovered across the ocean.

* * *

After her visit with Elizabeth, Mary felt a lot better than she had earlier this morning. She was continuously grateful for their relationship. Mary felt like she would be lost without her. Elizabeth knew exactly what Mary had to go through as a female ruler and it was relieving to have someone share those burdens with you. The snow was still falling outside and Mary shivered at the memory of almost being frozen. Before she could dwell on it any further, she was startled out of her thoughts.

"You filthy little whore!" Philip yelled from the opposite end of the hallway.

Mary froze at the sight in front of her. Philip had always been mild mannered and kind, but for the first time since she had met him, he looked positively murderous. It was clear that he had a bad temper. Philip and his group of men stormed towards her. She looked around her for support, but to her dismay, found that the hallway was empty. She wanted to curse at herself. How could she have been so foolish as to be unaccompanied in the castle when she knew that Philip would be unhappy with her? Before she could blink, he stood towering before her.

"Release your mother immediately!" he commanded.

"No," Mary replied firmly, "That is non-negotiable."

"You are worse than that bastard child Elizabeth!" Philip said angrily, "Release her!"

"I'm afraid that's impossible," she said calmly although she was terrified, "She was executed this morning."

Philip raised his hand and Mary flinched expecting a blow that never came. Looking up, she noticed Francis stood between them. Where had he come from?

"Don't you dare touch her," Francis said furiously, "Leave now."

"I should have known you would have called your lover," Philip snarled at Mary, "You have no authority here. You are simply a Dauphin and this isn't your court. Move aside. I have business with the Queen."

Feeling better by having Francis by her side, Mary walked beside him, "No you do not. I refuse your marriage proposal and as far as I'm concerned, any opportunity for an alliance between Spain and Scotland has been destroyed. Although I do not have the authority to command you to leave court, I highly suggest you do. Queen Elizabeth will not be pleased when she hears about this. I would think twice about hurting either of us. You do not want to start a war with England and France. Imagine those two countries united. You would never stand a chance. Leave while you still can."

Mary stood her ground. His dark eyes looked furiously into hers before he finally spat at their feet and stormed back to where he had come from. As soon as he was out of sight, Mary turned towards Francis angrily.

"What were you thinking? He could have killed you!" Mary exclaimed, "Your father would not have wanted you to anger Spain over me."

"He was going to hit you and I was not going to let that happen," Francis replied irritated, "You need to stop getting on my case about every little thing that happens!"

"You do the exact same thing to me!" she replied angrily.

"Yes, because I love you. I care about what happens to you. That's never going to change," he replied suddenly losing steam, "I don't think we can do this anymore."

"Do what? Be friends?" Mary answered sharply.

"Yes. I love you, Mary, and I'm tired. We don't work as friends. There's too much tension between us and we end up fighting all the time," Francis told her, "I'm placing the decision of our future in your hands."

"How could you expect me to trust you after what you did with Olivia? As soon as you're with me, you'll get bored of me and find some new woman to distract you. You're just like your father," she said with tears in her eyes.

Francis took a step towards her and she took a step back. This repeated until she felt the cold, stonewall behind her. With nowhere to go, Mary had no choice but to look at him.

"I am only going to say this once. I spent time with Olivia and we kissed, but I never slept with her. I will admit that I was confused and a fool. I was under a lot of pressure from my parents. They do not want us to marry. I thought that if I could forget you by being with Olivia before things started to get too serious between us, it would save us pain when we found out our engagement was broken.

"I was wrong. I tried to forget you, but I couldn't. Mary, I'm not perfect. I made a mistake and I kick myself every day for the pain that I caused you. If you give me another chance, I would never let you go again. You are the love of my life.

"The decision rests in your hands. I will leave in five days for France," Francis told her softly.

"But if your parents don't approve, what is the point?" Mary asked upset.

He looked at her seriously, "I don't care what they think anymore. I would marry you with or without their permission. You wouldn't have to wait anymore. I hope to see you soon, but if I don't see you before I leave then I will know why."

Suddenly, Francis was gone. The warmth of his body was slowly disappearing and it made Mary shiver. She couldn't process what had just happened. One minute, Philip was calling her degrading names and the next, Francis practically proposed to her. Slowly, she took a deep breath in and released it. He had not slept with Olivia. He had not slept with Olivia. That thought kept repeated itself in her head and she felt like she was in a dream. Had Francis really said that? Before her thought could continue, her lady-in-waiting Emma was walking towards her.

"Your majesty, you have been summoned for another council meeting," Emma said slightly out of breath.

"Thank you for letting me know," Mary said smiling before walking towards the chambers.

Elizabeth must have found out about Philip and his threat. Had he left the castle yet? Where was Francis now? Shaking her head, she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. Before she knew it, she was at the council chambers. Walking into the room, she noticed that the room felt slightly bigger without Walsingham and Michaelson.

"What has happened?" Mary asked Elizabeth as soon as she took a seat at the table.

"Here is a letter from Walsingham and Michaelson. The lists of your mother's allies are included in the letter. Are you okay? Did King Philip hurt you?" she asked concerned.

Mary shook her head and grabbed the letter, "No, Francis stopped him before he was able to."

"That pig. He has left the castle," Elizabeth told her, "I am also under the impression that he means to start a war against us."

"Are you absolutely certain?" Mary asked sharply.

"As Walsingham and Michaelson have disclosed in the letter, that has been their backup plan the entire time. They believe that Spain has enough power to win. Now with the event that transpired between you and Philip, I am confident that we will have a war on our hands. We must prepare," Elizabeth said solemnly.

"Queen Mary, we have started to put together a list of England's resources so that we can start preparing. We would advise you to do the same thing. That way we can strategically plan how to distribute those resources and how to best protect England and Scotland from attack," Cecil told her as he showed her some of the papers.

The rest of the night was spent discussing different battle tactics and what would work to their advantage. Mary had never seen so many different maps or battle formations in her life. To her surprise, Elizabeth looked like she was in her element. Maybe it was because she had experience from when she took the English throne. Any thought that she had of Francis disappeared since the topic of war had been introduced. Was she ready for this task? Yes, she would be. Lives were on the line and she would do whatever it took to save them. King Philip would regret the day that he met her. Taking the list of her mother's allies that Michaelson and Walsingham had provided her, Mary started writing out orders. This was a dangerous time and if she didn't get rid of these traitors, who knew what devastation would follow. Her dark brown eyes met Elizabeth's blue ones and they made a silent promise. They would do whatever it took to win and ensure peace within their countries.

**Read and review :). **


	9. Chapter 9

**Recap: **

_As soon as he was out of sight, Mary turned towards Francis angrily._

_"What were you thinking? He could have killed you!" Mary exclaimed, "Your father would not have wanted you to anger Spain over me."_

_"He was going to hit you and I was not going to let that happen," Francis replied irritated, "You need to stop getting on my case about every little thing that happens!"_

_"You do the exact same thing to me!" she replied angrily._

_"Yes, because I love you. I care about what happens to you. That's never going to change," he replied suddenly losing steam, "I don't think we can do this anymore."_

_"Do what? Be friends?" Mary answered sharply._

_"Yes. I love you, Mary, and I'm tired. We don't work as friends. There's too much tension between us and we end up fighting all the time," Francis told her, "I'm placing the decision of our future in your hands."_

_"How could you expect me to trust you after what you did with Olivia? As soon as you're with me, you'll get bored of me and find some new woman to distract you. You're just like your father," she said with tears in her eyes._

_Francis took a step towards her and she took a step back. This repeated until she felt the cold, stonewall behind her. With nowhere to go, Mary had no choice but to look at him._

_"I am only going to say this once. I spent time with Olivia and we kissed, but I never slept with her. I will admit that I was confused and a fool. I was under a lot of pressure from my parents. They do not want us to marry. I thought that if I could forget you by being with Olivia before things started to get too serious between us, it would save us pain when we found out our engagement was broken._

_"I was wrong. I tried to forget you, but I couldn't. Mary, I'm not perfect. I made a mistake and I kick myself every day for the pain that I caused you. If you give me another chance, I would never let you go again. You are the love of my life._

_"The decision rests in your hands. I will leave in five days for France," Francis told her softly._

_"But if your parents don't approve, what is the point?" Mary asked upset._

_He looked at her seriously, "I don't care what they think anymore. I would marry you with or without their permission. You wouldn't have to wait anymore. I hope to see you soon, but if I don't see you before I leave then I will know why."_

* * *

_The rest of the night was spent discussing different battle tactics and what would work to their advantage. Mary had never seen so many different maps or battle formations in her life. To her surprise, Elizabeth looked like she was in her element. Maybe it was because she had experience from when she took the English throne. Any thought that she had of Francis disappeared since the topic of war had been introduced. Was she ready for this task? Yes, she would be. Lives were on the line and she would do whatever it took to save them. King Philip would regret the day that he met her. Taking the list of her mother's allies that Michaelson and Walsingham had provided her, Mary started writing out orders. This was a dangerous time and if she didn't get rid of these traitors, who knew what devastation would follow. Her dark brown eyes met Elizabeth's blue ones and they made a silent promise. They would do whatever it took to win and ensure peace within their countries._

**Chapter 9**

The next four days had been spent focusing on the upcoming war. Mary and Elizabeth had to send letters to their allies to see if they would have their support. Some allies had declined, while others had agreed to send resources. The reality of the situation was starting to sink in and Mary was scared. What happened if they lost? Where would she go? Would she be killed? Would her people be slaughtered? As often as those thoughts occurred, Mary tried to focus on other things. It was so strange to see this side of King Philip. He had been nothing but kind and patient towards her, but her betrayal had made her see a different, more hidden side to him. From many discussions, they agreed that King Philip would send his armies to England first as not only was it closer, but more powerful than Scotland. Once King Philip had England, he would then take Scotland. Their spies hidden in King Philip's court confirmed these theories.

So much had happened, that Mary had almost lost track of the days. She realized that she had to give Francis an answer by tomorrow at the latest. The court matters had been a welcome distraction, but now she realized that she hadn't given Francis' offer any serious consideration. Mary was at a complete loss on what to do. She knew that her decision regarding Francis could have a serious impact on her future and her country. Mary needed to be certain that she was going to make the right decision. Just like any other time she had doubts, she called on her cousin for a second opinion. As soon as they were comfortably seated in Elizabeth's chambers, Mary took a deep breath and explained her situation.

"-Now I don't know what to do. This is one of the hardest decisions that I've ever had to make and I'm at a loss," Mary finished almost out of breath.

"Can I give you some advice?" Elizabeth asked Mary suddenly.

"Yes, I would welcome any advice right now," Mary replied gratefully.

"I have watched you grow into a strong ruler since you agreed to join me in England. You have made difficult decisions for your people without thought to yourself. You are decisive, intelligent, and sociable. I have noticed that you are approaching your situation with Francis in the same way, but I think that you are not being true to yourself. To make Scotland a stronger country through marriage, your choices are between Spain and France. Spain is no longer an option, so that leaves France. Politically, marrying Francis is a good, strategic move. But I know that there is more at stake here than politics.

"He hurt you badly. We were writing to each other during his time with Olivia and I visited when that time ended. I have walked with you through that journey. I noticed how broken he was when you left and I noticed that although you became a stronger ruler, you also were lost without him. That is why I invited him to London. I had a feeling in my gut that it was the right thing to do and I was curious to see what would happen.

"Don't think I didn't notice that the wall that you had built around yourself, protecting you from the pain that Francis put you through, came crumbling down as soon as he arrived. Since he has been in London, he has shown you that he is someone you can trust. There have been a lot of women trying to seduce him into their beds and he has ignored them. He pays them no attention and instead focuses his attention on you. When you asked him to be friends, I saw how hard he tried to be your friend and I saw how much it was killing him. I also saw how confused you were because you wanted to be more than friends yet your mind was telling you that that wasn't possible.

"Now the decision that you have to make is a gamble. Either you decide to be with Francis and take the risk that Olivia was a one-time thing or you turn down his offer and are content that you will not get hurt or you will wonder what would have happened if you had accepted," Elizabeth told her.

Elizabeth's advice was unexpected. The more she thought about it, the more she realized her friends wanted her to be with him despite what he had done. For the first time in a long time, she truly thought about how she felt about Francis. Mary remembered the moments they had shared together, the good and the bad. He had been so involved in her life up until this point; it was like he was a part of her. Could she really let him go? Francis had hurt her, but for the past year he had been trying to win her back. Not only did he say he would change, but he had shown her with his actions.

This decision would affect the outcome of the rest of her life. She tried picturing her life without him and it was too much to bear. Despite everything they had gone through, Francis was the first person that she wanted to see when she walked in a room. She still looked for him subconsciously. He was constantly in her thoughts and it had been a year since she told him that she wanted nothing to do with him. Mary realized that her love for him was stronger than she had realized. She knew what she must do.

"Thank you for your advice and your patience as I pondered over the matter. I believe that I have made my decision. He has become a part of me and I cannot let him go despite what he has done," Mary admitted.

"Why are you still here telling me this?" Elizabeth asked smiling, "Go tell him."

Mary returned Elizabeth's smile before leaving to find Francis. After making her decision, it felt like a weight had been lifted from her. She was nervous to face him. Before she always had her guard up around him, but this was going to be the first time she faced him in over a year where she was vulnerable in front of him. Mary was only vulnerable around Elizabeth these days, so it was going to be an interesting encounter. She finally reached his door and took a deep breath. The page allowed her entry and Mary almost froze when she saw him.

It was as if each time she forgot how attracted to him she was. He was at his desk looking through papers, but looked up at her entry. When he realized that Mary was standing in his chambers, he immediately got up and walked towards her.

"Mary, have you dec-" Francis said before he was interrupted.

Mary couldn't contain herself anymore. She had done it for far too long. Mary ran towards him, grabbed his cheek and kissed him. He must have been surprised, because it took him a few moments before he reacted. He kissed her back with equal fervor putting his hands on her hips and pulling her closer towards him. Mary had forgotten how safe she felt in his arms and how good he felt against her. Sometimes she thought that he could shield her from the world. She didn't know how long they had been kissing, but she slowly pulled away.

"I would love nothing more than to marry you. I just need to be sure that you won't hurt me again," Mary said as she stared into his blue eyes.

"Mary, I can't promise you that I won't ever hurt you. If we get married, we will inevitably hurt each other. However, I can promise you that I will never turn to another woman. Even if we are fighting all the time, you will be the only woman that I am with. I love you, Mary. I'm sorry it took me so long to see it," Francis said softly, observing her reaction.

"You are right. We probably will hurt each other unintentionally, but I will also never turn towards anyone else. I am yours. Only yours. I do have one last thing to tell you. Spain has declared war on Scotland and England. Do you still wish to marry me now that I am going to war?" she asked him.

"Of course, I'll still marry you. I can't promise that France will contribute anything, but I will be by your side. I am leaving for France tomorrow, does this mean that you will return with me? I was thinking that we should get married right away. We have waited far too long," he asked after softly kissing her.

Mary stepped out of his embrace so that she could think. As much as she wanted to return back to France, could she leave Elizabeth when Spain could attack at any moment?

"I know what you're thinking and I've given it a lot of thought. It is still winter. King Philip needs time to build his armies and he can't attack during the winter even if he would like to. The storms are at their worst and the resources are limited. There are four months that you would spend here waiting regardless and France is not that far away from England in case he does attack sooner. Bash and Lola have changed the date to their wedding. You would be able to attend their wedding, we could get married, and you could see your friends again," Francis explained.

"I don't know. I feel like I would be abandoning Elizabeth when she needs me," she said reluctantly.

"Why don't you ask her? If she doesn't think it's a good idea then we make other plans. I do need to return to France on business," he told her.

"I'll talk to Elizabeth and we'll see what she says. I have a feeling she'll agree to it just because it was your idea," Mary said smiling as she hugged him again.

"Why do you say that?" Francis asked curiously.

"She really likes you. I don't know why, but she does," she said.

"Well I'm glad. Things will be a lot easier if we like each other," he said smiling.

Mary burrowed her head into his chest and relaxed. This whole morning was unexpected. She was so used to dealing with these things with Elizabeth or on her own that she forgot that she now had to incorporate Francis and France into her decisions. Ruling one country was scary enough, she couldn't imagine ruling two countries simultaneously. Francis would be there every step of the way so that would make it easier.

* * *

"Elizabeth, I need your counsel once more," Mary said when she entered Elizabeth's chambers.

"What is it now?" Elizabeth replied jokingly, "I should start to charge you. I could make a fortune."

"You ask me for counsel as well! How many disputes between lords and commoners have I helped you resolve?" Mary exclaimed, "Francis has to return to France on business…"

"Let me guess, he wants you to go with him?" Elizabeth said.

"Yes, he does. He doesn't believe that King Philip will attack us until at least spring. He would like us to get married shortly and spend some time at French Court," she explained nervously.

"You want to go with him as well. I agree with Francis. I don't believe that Spain will attack us until spring. We have plans in place already for when he does plan on attacking. I don't see why you couldn't go. We have the majority figured out. We will still communicate by letters. We can test out that code that we made. That way no one will know of our plans if they are intercepted," Elizabeth said deep in thought, "My only regret will be that I won't be able to attend your wedding."

"I know. I wish you could be there as well. His mother is against our marriage and I am not looking forward to dealing with her again," Mary admitted.

Elizabeth walked up to Mary and grabbed her hands, "You are not the same girl who left France. You have come into your own. You can handle French politics and Queen Catherine de Medici. I have no doubt in your abilities."

"Thank you," Mary replied hugging Elizabeth, "Sometimes I swear that we are sisters instead of cousins. You are right. I better tell Anne to get help and start packing my things."

"I have always been curious about that. Why did you request to only have one lady-in-waiting?" she asked curiously.

"I have had the same four ladies-in-waiting for my entire life. I would have been reminded of them even more if I had more ladies-in-waiting," Mary admitted, "Thank you for your counsel."

As soon as Mary left Elizabeth's chambers, she walked swiftly to make the arrangements with Anne. There was much to be done and so little time. She would also have to inform Francis that she would be accompanying him on his journey. Mary would also have to tell Michaelson to stay in England as an ambassador. There were so many things to do, yet so little time.

* * *

After saying goodbye to Elizabeth, Walsingham, Michaelson, Dudley, and Cecil, Mary left the English Court. She left instructions behind for Michaelson to follow and told Elizabeth that she would write to her as soon as she arrived at French Court. It took awhile, but Francis and Mary finally arrived. It surprised Mary that Francis' castle still felt like home to her. She had spent most of her life there, so it shouldn't have been that surprising. There were butterflies in her stomach and she didn't know why. She was a little nervous, but she shouldn't have been as nervous as she was.

"What's on your mind?" Francis asked as he continued to look out the window.

"You're staring outside of the window, how could you possibly- never mind. I'm just nervous. I haven't been at French Court in over a year. So much has happened since I have left and it makes me nervous. Have you told your parents of your plans to marry me?" Mary asked curiously.

Francis turned his gaze towards her and there was something in his blue eyes that relaxed her, "Yes, I did. My father thinks that it is politically advantageous. My mother is still against it, but her opinion on the matter is irrelevant. My father has made preparations already. I believe our marriage is supposed to take place in three days."

"Three days?" Mary repeated, "After waiting for so long, it's odd that it's happening so soon."

"Do you have any regrets?" he asked.

"No, of course not," she said smiling, "In three days you will be King Consort of Scotland. Think you are up to the challenge?"

"With you by my side, I will be," Francis replied as he kissed her.

The carriage suddenly stopped and Mary looked up, "That was fast. I guess it's better to face the members of French Court now rather than later."

"You're thinking too much about it. Come on, everything will be fine," Francis said as he stepped out of the carriage and extended his hand to help her out of the carriage.

Mary was surprised by the gathering there to greet them. King Henry, Queen Catherine, Diane, Lola, Bash, Greer, Aylee, Lady Kenna, and Francis' little brothers were waiting for them as well as other members of court.

Francis and Mary walked up to King Henry and bowed before him. King Henry bowed back to Mary as was custom. Mary noticed that he looked more stressed than usual and she wondered what the cause was. Catherine looked as regal and stoic as she had before. The most surprising factor was Diane's presence. Mary had thought that Lady Kenna had taken Diane's place, but it seemed that she had been mistaken.

"Francis, you have been away for some time. There is much to discuss," Henry told Francis, "Mary, Queen of Scots, you are most welcome here."

"Thank you, your Grace," Mary replied seriously.

After making the appropriate acknowledgements, Francis disappeared with his father to discuss court matters. Catherine, Diane, Lady Kenna, and Francis' younger brothers, as well as the other members of court, returned into the castle leaving Mary with her friends.

"Mary, it's so nice to see you! I was so jealous that Lola got to visit you in England," Aylee exclaimed as she gave Mary a hug.

"I've missed you. It wasn't much of a visit. I was sick for most of it and I didn't even get to say goodbye," Mary replied as she pulled away.

"You're looking a lot better now. I'm happy you're alright. I was very worried," Lola revealed as she hugged Mary in turn.

"When you have a moment you must tell me all about England. I want to hear all about the gossip, fashion, and music!" Greer exclaimed as she hugged Mary.

The last person for Mary to greet was Bash. He looked a lot happier than the last time she had seen him. He had cut his hair short and had a smile on his face. He stepped up and gave her a hug too.

"Welcome back. There are rumors that I will be gaining a sister-in-law. Are they true?" Bash asked smiling.

"Yes they are," Mary replied as she pulled away, "You won't be able to get rid of me that easily."

She saw Lola smiling at their banter and knew that everything was as it should have been. They accompanied her back into the castle. She never thought that she would have stepped foot in it again. Bash left them so that they could catch up privately and they led Mary to her old chambers.

"I wasn't expecting to stay in these chambers once again," Mary commented as they entered the room.

"These chambers haven't been occupied since your last visit," Aylee said as they all sat down on the couches and chairs that surrounded the lit fireplace.

"Mary, I must ask. Is Scotland really going to war against Spain?" Greer asked her curiously.

"I'm afraid so," Mary replied, "Although we face Spain with England as our allies."

"Is it true that you ordered your mother's execution?" Aylee asked slightly horrified by the thought.

Mary looked around and saw her friends' faces. She could tell that they were not only horrified, but also shocked at her decision. She stood up and walked towards the window. Mary was angry that they didn't understand her decision. She needed a few minutes to compose herself before explaining herself. It was for reasons like this that it was so much easier to be friends with Elizabeth. She understood the decisions that Mary had to make, because she also had to make difficult decisions. Just like when she last spoke with Lola, Mary felt a little different around her friends. With a deep breath, Mary turned back to her friends.

"Yes, I did order my mother's execution. She violated the law and committed treason. Treason is punishable by death as you are all aware," Mary told them seriously.

"But she was your mother," Greer commented.

"Just because she was my mother did not make her exempt from the law," Mary snapped, "I did not return to France to have my decisions criticized by my friends. As I have told Lola, things have changed since I have left France."

Lola stood up and stood by Mary, "Mary did what was best for Scotland. Don't you remember what it was like living under her mother's rule? Things have improved drastically since Mary has taken over. We're lucky that we will never have to make those choices."

"You might not understand the reasons behind my decisions. That is not your responsibility. Just know that they are in our country's best interests. It is not easy being a ruler," Mary said tiredly, "I am tired from my journey. I'm going to retire for a little bit."

"I'm sorry," Aylee said looking ashamed.

"I'm sorry too," Greer repeated, "We never really thought about its effects on you."

"I understand and I forgive you. Enjoy the rest of your day," Mary told them as she got herself ready for bed.

Crawling into the cool sheets, Mary couldn't help but wonder if too much had changed. Before she did not have trouble relating to her friends, but now, she didn't feel like they were equals. Not because Mary felt superior, but they were still so innocent. They couldn't understand what it felt like to command their own mother's executions. Although they were scared about the upcoming war, Mary was the one that had to lead them. The deaths that resulted from this war would be because of her. They just didn't seem to grasp that, but it wasn't their fault. They had their own problems to worry about. With that last thought, she fell asleep.

* * *

After waking up, she was surprised to find out that she had been summoned to dine with the King and Queen, as well as Francis. Aylee, Greer, and Lola helped her get ready as per usual. The tension from earlier had been forgotten and currently they were laughing at Aylee's story where not only did she spill wine on a suitor, but she also made him trip and fall in front of the entire French Court. Aylee's cheeks were still red from embarrassment. Finally, when she was ready, she bid them farewell and was on her way to dine with the King.

Halfway to her destination, Mary noticed that someone was following her. She hadn't been able to see whom it had been or when they had started, but she could hear the footsteps behind her. Mary wondered if it was Clarissa, but dismissed the thought immediately. Clarissa wouldn't have cause to see her now and even if she did, it would be in the privacy of her chambers. Each time Mary stopped, the footsteps stopped as well. Finally tiring of this game, Mary hid behind a column while the other person was hiding. When the person finally walked past the column, Mary grabbed them and pushed them against the wall. To her surprise, it was Lady Kenna.

"What are you doing following me?" Mary asked irritated, "I do not appreciate getting snuck up on."

"I'm sorry. I wanted to speak with you, but I didn't think that you would permit it. I thought that this was the best way to get you to talk to me," Lady Kenna said nervously.

"Well you have my attention, speak," she commanded.

Lady Kenna looked surprised at Mary's behavior but didn't comment on it, "I'm scared that I'm going to be executed for treason soon."

"Why would you suspect that?" Mary asked as she looked for any trace of deceit in her expression.

"You were right. I should have thought about becoming Henry's mistress, before accepting. I was just so in love and so excited about it-" Lady Kenna said before Mary interrupted her.

"I am late for my evening plans. Buttering me up will not help your case. Tell me why you think you are going to be executed for treason," Mary said commandingly.

Lady Kenna took a deep breath, "Initially, Henry ignored Diane. I had everything that I have ever wanted. He even started to speak to me about court matters, but just briefly. Then he started seeing Diane again. I tried to get him to send her away or to choose me, but he ended up choosing Diane instead. I was upset, hurt, and heartbroken by his dismissal. I have been trying to find evidence against Diane so that he would finally choose me. I think someone has been intercepting my letters. I have only been aware of it recently."

"I don't understand how that would result in your execution," Mary replied.

"I might have promised a few influential people favors," she said quietly.

"You did what? How could you be so stupid? Like I told you before, this isn't a game you're playing. These games can result in your death," Mary said angrily.

"I didn't know until it was too late. Mary, you have to help me," Kenna pleaded.

Mary took a step back from Lady Kenna, "What I was trying to warn you about before, was this situation. When you agreed to become King Henry's mistress, you agreed to become his subject. You know the laws regarding that. I have no power when it comes to you."

"There must be something you could do," she said desperately.

"Why would I want to do something for you? You lied, manipulated, and betrayed me. You put Scotland at risk for your personal gain. What did you think was going to happen?" Mary told her as if she was speaking to a child, "Even if I wanted to help you, there is nothing I can do except make sure that it's a swift death. You made your bed Lady Kenna, now you must lie in it."

Lady Kenna started to cry, but Mary had had enough. She continued walking towards the dining hall knowing that she was late. How could Lady Kenna be so stupid? She should have known better than to get involved with a king. She felt for her, but there was really nothing she could do about Lady Kenna's situation. Lady Kenna would have to find a way to appeal to Henry or else she will be executed. Just like any ruler, Henry did not have the patience or tolerance for treason. With a deep breath, she composed herself and entered the dining hall.

"You're late," Catherine snapped as soon as her presence was known.

"I am aware. I was delayed by matters concerning Scotland," Mary said as she took a seat opposite of Francis.

"What matters would they be?" she asked rudely.

"Catherine, they are Scotland's matters not ours. Let us enjoy this feast," Henry interrupted, "Just as Francis has told you, the wedding will happen in three day's time. Do you have any objections?"

"None at all your Grace," Mary replied smiling at Francis.

"I have been notified that Spain has declared war on England and Scotland. What is your response?" he asked after taking a bite of chicken.

"Queen Elizabeth, our council, and I have discussed it at length. We do not agree with King Philip's terms. We are preparing for battle," Mary informed him as she picked up her wineglass.

"Have you considered France's role in this?" Catherine asked offended.

"Mother, please," Francis said trying to ease the tension at the table.

"No, Francis. We had plans to marry our daughter Elisabeth to King Philip," she informed Mary.

"I had not considered France's role, because I had not been engaged to Francis at that time. King Philip's terms are also preposterous and would be detrimental to Scotland. For your information, King Philip asked for my hand in marriage during my stay in England. King Philip also threatened Francis at English Court. Just as I have not been aware of matters regarding France, you are also not aware of matters that occurred at English Court," Mary explained.

"Mother, stop it. Elisabeth's marriage to King Philip was merely a suggestion. I was aware of Scotland's position when I asked for Mary's hand in marriage. I support her and Queen Elizabeth's position in the war," Francis told his mother firmly.

"But Queen Elizabeth is a Protestant!" his mother exclaimed.

"Yes, she is a Protestant. However, her and Mary have passed a law in England and Scotland that allows for more than one religion to be practiced. It is a good idea. Although I do not share Queen Elizabeth's religion, I respect her as a ruler. I will not be so quick to dismiss her due to her religious affiliations as long as it does not hurt Catholics," Francis replied angrily, "Besides, Scotland will never be your problem. In three days, I will be King Consort and rule alongside Mary. You have no business in this matter. Mary has not requested France's help against Spain."

"I don't approve of your marriage," Catherine replied furiously.

"Catherine, enough!" Henry said fiercely, "I will not tolerate your opinions at this table anymore. You have no role in France's politics and have no say in Francis' marriage. These matters do not concern you. You are dismissed."

Mary had never seen Catherine look as angry as she did in this moment. She quickly stood up and stormed out of the dining hall. Henry relaxed into his chair and looked as if he wanted to smile now that Catherine had left. Francis looked like he was frustrated by his mother's behavior. Mary had been surprised to see how quickly Francis had come to her defense. She had never seen him fight with his mother before and knew that it was a rare occurrence. Catherine treasured her relationship with her son and seemed to feel that Mary was a threat to it. It was ridiculous and Catherine wasn't handling things appropriately. She was only succeeding in pushing Francis away from her.

"I will not be sending French forces against Spain," Henry said interrupting the silence, "I fear that your marriage to Francis will anger King Philip. It is not in France's best interests to go to war right now. I will continue to try to ally France and Spain whether it is through Elisabeth's marriage to King Philip or his son. Hopefully that will relieve some of the tension that has grown between France and Spain."

"My problem is with Spain and I am not asking you to contribute to our cause. I am aware of France's situation currently. I am going to be the Queen of France one day, so I am trying to work in your people's best interests as well," Mary explained.

It seemed that Henry didn't have anything to say to that so the rest of the feast was conducted in silence. It would have been awkward if Francis hadn't been there with her. Whenever his father wasn't looking, Francis would smile at her or make a face to entertain her. Mary was going to marry a man who still made faces like a child would in the dining hall. She had to focus on something else so she wouldn't laugh out loud.

After they were finished eating, Henry left Francis and Mary alone. Francis decided to walk with Mary to the library like they used to do. The servants had cleaned the library and lit a fire in anticipation of their arrival. With a sigh, they both collapsed on the same couch.

"How was your first day back at French Court?" Francis asked her as he wrapped an arm around her.

"It was exhausting," Mary admitted.

"Tell me about it. Mary, I want you to know that we're equals. I know that it is expected for a queen to follow her husband's commands, but I don't want that to be the case with us. I want to be partners, so that we can face our challenges and triumphs together," Francis said as he rested his head on hers.

"I would like that very much. I guess that I hadn't expected my friendships with my ladies-in-waiting to be different than it was before. Aylee and Greer were judging my decision to execute my mother as if it was a decision that I had made lightly. I suppose that I didn't expect it to hurt as much as it did. Lola was on my side and they apologized. I'm just so tired of having to explain myself. And Lady Kenna's situation has been brought to my attention," she explained tiredly.

"Friendships change just like alliances do. I'm glad that Lola was on your side. I think Bash has found his match in her. You're a queen, Mary. Not everyone is going to agree or understand every decision that you make as a ruler. I don't think you should have to explain yourself. You make decisions based on the counsel that your advisors, your allies, and your conscience tell you," he said as he kissed her cheek, "I know. I have heard about Lady Kenna's situation and I don't think there will be a good outcome. My father is furious with her."

"Why was she there to greet us if he isn't happy with her? She came to me pleading for me to save her life, but there isn't anything that I can do. My hands are tied in this situation," Mary admitted.

"My father wants to improve his relationship with you now that you are going to be his daughter-in-law. He probably thought that you would have been upset if she wasn't there. After what she's done, nothing could help her," Francis said, "I would help her for you, but my father is adamant that this is his decision to make. He won't even listen to Diane and she's surprisingly pleading Lady Kenna's case."

"I wish I could say that I didn't understand your father's thinking, but I do. I feared this would happen, that's why I was so angry at her," she said, "Enough about me, how was your day?"

"My day wasn't as eventful as yours was. My father wanted to know more about the situation with Spain, which was why he asked for my return. There have also been lords fighting once more over borders and everything else they can think of. The usual boring stuff," Francis told her.

"I think I like this whole concept of being equals. It reminds me of my relationship with Elizabeth," Mary said softly as she grabbed his hand and entwined her fingers with his.

"I never realized how highly you thought of Elizabeth until recently. I'm surprised at your relationship. I would have thought you would have been enemies due to politics and your potential claim to the throne," he admitted.

"I know, I'm often surprised myself. It's funny because I find myself dependent on her, but she says the exact same thing about me. Things would be very different if we hadn't developed our relationship or created an alliance," she told him, "I'm scared about this war with Spain."

"Don't be," Francis said rubbing his thumb over her hand, "You are a strong, fierce leader. I know that you will do whatever it takes to save your people. King Philip is acting rashly and out of anger. It takes years to prepare for battle, but he is rushing his people. Demanding them to make more ships than they are able to. When someone operates like that, they are bound to make a mistake. That mistake will be something you will be able to capitalize on."

"Yes, well once you have become King Consort, I will fill you in on all the details. I do trust you, but these things regard Scotland and not my personal life," Mary explained.

"I understand. I am starting to fall asleep, we should return to our respective chambers now," he told her softly.

"No, I don't want to move. I'm too comfortable," she said groaning as Francis started to move.

"In three days, we will be able to spend every night together for the rest of our lives. Be patient," he said teasingly.

Mary got up and they walked down the hallway together quietly contemplating. There had been a lot of changes in the past few days that they still had to mentally process. Not only that, but they were going to be married in three days. There would be a lot of changes in the next year. That was why they were both focusing on this moment. When finally they had to part ways, Mary turned so that she was facing him.

"Good night, Francis. I love you," she said looking up at him.

"I will never tire of hearing you say that. Je t'aime aussi, mon amour," Francis said before kissing her goodnight.

There were guards posted along the hallway, so their kiss was short. With one last hand squeeze, they walked to their respective chambers. Lola was waiting for her, so that she could help Mary get ready for bed.

"How was your night?" Lola asked her as she started getting out Mary's nightclothes.

"It was interesting, but it ended with Francis and I in the library," Mary said smiling, "How was yours?"

"Mine was good. I'm glad that you decided to give Francis a second chance," she said as she helped Mary out of her clothes.

"I'm glad I did too," Mary said quietly.

"Do you still have your doubts?" Lola asked curiously as she brushed Mary's hair.

She sighed, "I wish that I didn't, but I still do. That insecurity is always at the back of my mind. I don't know if it'll ever go away."

"I think it's safe to say that I know Francis and I believe with all of my heart that he will always be by your side," Lola said, "Was there anything else you needed before retiring?"

"No, that should be all. Thank you again for today. I appreciated your support," Mary said as she walked towards her bed.

"You know that you'll always have my support. Have a good night. I'll see you tomorrow morning," Lola said with a smile.

"I'll get ready by myself tomorrow. Tell Greer and Aylee that they have the morning off. Go spend time with Bash," Mary said smiling as she got into bed, "Good night Lola."

"Good night, Mary and thank you," Lola said as she left Mary's chambers.

There was still so much for Mary to think about, but she was beyond exhausted. Being back at French Court was more taxing than she had realized. There were so many things to discuss and so many issues to solve. Those were tomorrow's problems. After a few minutes, Mary was able to fall into a peaceful sleep.

**Thank you for your patience. Read and review :). **


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